RZootopia Anthology Volume I: Gritty Zootopia
by vulpinewizard
Summary: This work is a community developed Anthology from the Zootopia Subreddit. Collectively, we voted on a common theme, and submitted stories based around that theme. For this volume, the theme of a gritty Zootopia was proposed, by u/TheAckabackA. We hope you enjoy the anthology.
1. Chapter 1

_**Wick and Balefire**_

 _By Draes Letum_

 _I'd love to have you as a partner._

 _Sorry, Fluff, but I wouldn't dream of it. I'd lose all my connections as a cop! Trust me, I'm more useful to you as a conman._

 _But… I don't know, Nick, I kinda like knowing you've got my back._

 _Then I'll be there as often as I can. You and me, we can take on the world together, and I don't need a badge to prove it._

"I feel safe when you're around," she wanted to say as he shoos her back onto stage. From a distance he inspired confidence, a strength she couldn't quite place. She was distracted by him as she made her speech about the predators they rescued from Cliffside. Clever fox never stopped grinning when she stumbled over her words. She hardly got to answer any questions as she quickly excused herself.

 **In another world, he doesn't become a cop, staying a conman but opting to aid her. They never have a falling out and they catch Bellwether without further complications. He's usually still there by her side, but never as close as he could have.**

 **~o}{o~**

She was quite bright in the morning when she saw him in her kitchen cooking for her, essentially having trespassed into her own home, but his frayed edges and his half-tucked shirt beneath the gaudy throw-away apron told her that he got here in a hurry.

"How did you get in here?" she asked in mock frustration, sauntering over to his side, looking for the telltale signs of any roughing up he might have escaped from, which were absent. So she's left to wonder.

"I picked up lock picking with Finnick," he told her with an ease he only knew with her, a cheeky grin to him that wasn't so much a signature as it was permanently plastered to his stupid face. "Thought it would come in handy today." He shrugged as he placed another eggplant onto the pan.

"You mean you learnt it this morning to break into my apartment?" She crossed her arms, quirking a brow.

"Not my fault you traded noisy neighbors for cheap locks."

She'd argue, usually, but the con-fox had always been the crafty sort who did what he wanted. It's not like most of the things he did were illegal, just sleezy. And this, she thought, was just one of those moments where he's all him and she'll just have to put up with it.

So all she did was sigh and sit at her own table, watching with some fascination at how the fox cooks for prey. And she found that he's quite skilled at it, but she realized that cooked eggplant slices and lasagna wasn't as skilled as it was clever.

"A good conman can accommodate any guest, so you can imagine what kind of skills I've picked up," he said, watching her take another meditative bite of his cooking.

She leveled a brow at him. "Is that so? Can you dance?"

He left his apron on the island counter and proceeded to tap dance. Then river dance. Then the Cossack coupled with a failed attempt at a Russian accent. Then he took her hand as he pulled her in, showing her his vast array of experience on the waltz.

And yet, for all her grace and talent, Nick was quite surprised – and quietly pleased – that she didn't know how to waltz passed the basics. "Everyone was too intimidated to ask me out to any of the dances so I never felt the need to learn."

He thought it quite silly and rather sad as he rolled his eyes, taking her up in his arms, having decided to teach her. In the very least she was a fast learner, but she messed up a few times – though far less than he did when he first tried. Almost an hour passed before he gave up teaching her how to cross-step and spin, as he opted to give up halfway through the lesson and just spin her in his arms until they were dizzy.

They collapsed at her doorway, falling onto the carpeting of her living room. She's giggling and he thought she enjoyed that too much but couldn't help but join her. And when the mirth has left their lungs, she sat up to smile at him, reveling in the joy he brings her.

And he mirrored her, returning the sentiment as his features soften almost uncharacteristically at her, a simple jubilance he's certain he'll never find with anyone else.

Then the smile turned sad as he looked away, not wanting to see her reaction. "I won't be able to join you today…"

She huffs, breathing a relieved sigh that told him that she was worried he had terrible news. "Jeez, Nick, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself out there, thank you very much."

He sighed wearily as she scampered off to collect the rest of her breakfast. He shook his head, more than a little worried for her. She's certainly no damsel-in-distress type but one woman against the world was a frightful thing, regardless of one's mettle.

"Take a partner with you today. A temporary one, at least," he cautioned, but she has none of it.

"Nick, I'll be fine. I can handle whatever this city can throw at me."

 _She's so stubborn,_ he thought, wishing he could say it aloud. He didn't know yet if it's pride or if she simply refused to take anyone but him with her, but he's left with little choice… which was what he would say if he wasn't Nick Wilde.

He stood up then trapped her arms in a bear hug. She thought he was just being silly until she told him it wasn't not funny anymore. He then told her that he'll let her go when she decides to at least take that rookie Ansel Mason with her. She resisted but didn't find much need to argue, his insistence winning her over.

They part ways when she had realized that she was late for work and so she bolted out of the room. She then drove off into the city on that listless spring morning, where the world seemed to stand still along near empty streets and the muted, stagnant sky. And there she finds the cusp of some stray thought lingering in her mind's eye a little longer than it should have: If Nick would be okay today.

 **~o}{o~**

Fanfare mixed with almost every letter in the mail, her dream job etched into a golden badge, a fancy apartment at the tallest building she could find, her own car big enough to hold a whole host of bunnies, and a salary big enough for two cops. Judy Hopps has all these things and yet she couldn't help the gnawing feeling at the pit of her gut that something was missing, giving her pause as she stared into the sunset hiding behind towers of concrete and steel through the ZPD's window.

As a woman who should want for nothing, she somehow managed to entail some. But she does not quite know what.

She ponders the question of what it is, long enough to chew her lip, and her visible display caught the attention of the rambling Ansel Mason, a capybara officer new to the force who pushed down his starry-eyed glee at the sight of his idol as he sinks back, unsure of what she'd do to him if he interrupted her thoughts.

To him, her sigh was an omen of grave things, that her dejection might mean something has gone terribly awry, but when she spots the woe in his eyes against the window's reflection, she thinks he's being quite silly. Because her problems do not belong to the world, and her every being was not dedicated to her job, but the hyperbole romanticized by the media has clearly won its way through the young man.

Her first thought was to, perhaps, change his mind, but there was some merit to the mysticism surrounding her. Avatars of hope were a dime a dozen, but so few were so regularly out in public like she was, amongst the people every day.

So instead she stilled her lips and quieted as the young man fidgeted in place, quite unsure of what to do with himself.

Bogo came with a saving grace for them both, his lumbering stature flush against light pouring out of the hall, imposing and masculine, frightening Ansel. And Judy capitalized on this, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder as she stands between them, giving the capybara somewhere to hide, thankful for her.

"Hopps! I have an assignment for you." The buffalo regards them both, only then remembering that she'd requested to let him tag along with her today.

"What do you need, Chief?"

Her spirited aura gave him pride, a stark contrast to their rocky first meeting. That was almost a year ago and she has done nothing but produce results since then. But a quiet fear still lurks beneath his gratified grin, eying the distinct limitations of a mammal so small, no matter how skilled or talented she might be. And for a moment he considers rescinding the assignment he was about to give her, but decides to give it to her anyway.

A stakeout but an important one. Denzel Creed, a Caporegime for the Big Mafia, was stockpiling something illegal in one of their off-the-record warehouses. They just needed to watch the place and call for back up when they see anything.

Bogo had honestly hoped that Nick would tag along. Potentially illegal activities aside, Nick was essential to Judy's outstanding performance. She could stand on her own, yes, but Nick was a reliable and stable partner who was creative enough to compensate for her overzealous attitude and could help talk their way out of a messy situation.

With a quiet sigh, Bogo reluctantly left Judy and her temporary partner to their assignment, but the star struck look in Ansel's eyes gave him pause, staring at them through the crack in the still ajar door. He wanted to impress her, to prove that he was worthy to stand with giants, so to speak.

But Bogo resigns to leave them be and bear with it till they meet again in the morning. He'd made the mistake of underestimating fresh blood, so perhaps he might prove him wrong here.

 **~o}** -̵̧̕͝-̀͠͝-̕͏̢-̶̀̕͢-̧̛́͞͠-̶͜-̴̵͘͠-͝-̵̵̡-̵̧̕͝-̕͏̢-̷̕͝͞-̢̡̢-͜͜͠͝͞ **-̷͝͠N** -̶̀̕͢-̧̛́͞͠n-̶͜i-̴̵͘͠-͝-̵̵̡-̵̧̕͝-̕͏̢-̷̕͝͞c-̢̡̢-͜͜͠͝͞ **-̛̛-̷͝͠** k-̵̧̕͝-̕͏̢-̀͠͝ **{o~**

 **Fire.**

Vibrant, magnanimous, it is life blood for its warmth, it is the forge in which the west was built. It crafts steel and builds empires. It creates almost as well as it destroys. And Judy was witness to its power as it struck down gods of industry and lords of crime as easily as it would the common man.

Andrei Callahan, CEO of the American Harrier Industries, now an ashen silhouette indistinguishable from that of his cronies. Denzel Creed, Caporegime and eventual wartime Consigliere to the Big Mafia, now a screaming mass begging what powers might be to quell the flame that turned his pale white fur into cinders that dance amidst the billowing smog. And their associates meet similar fates amidst the great pyre in the warehouse, turning a circle of corruption into fuel for the fire.

She scrambled back amidst the burning stockpiles of illegal material, serving as towering blockades around her as they collapse under the crushing weight upon weakened, scorched foundations. Her eyes searched for an exit, flitting about as the warehouse breathed its last breaths into great plumes of smoke that ebb off from the collapsed openings above where the sheet metal roof has given way from the burnt supports.

One sheet metal fell before her, making her yelp as she stumbled back. She trips on a body then, falling to her back that forced air out of her lungs. She pulled herself up, body aching and breath bated as she got to her feet.

But then her eyes met the stagnant, frozen gaze of Ansel Mason, lying dead across the floor, a bullet wound that rung through his head now no longer visible against the blackened char against his temple.

Her voice hitched, gasping as she pains at the sight of him again. She would have wept for him had she not already, face still caked in his blood.

She shook her head and bolted out, weaving passed collapsing product, ignore the myriad screams around her. She spots a way out, passed some shelving towards the aptly named fire exit.

But then her eyes then fall upon the still writhing form of Denzel Creed, tears welling in his singed eyelids that mist almost as readily as his body ignites. He rolls and pats his frame but the air fed the flame too quickly, making his actions feeble, useless, petty. And then he collapsed from exhaustion, face-first into the cement floor before her, the tongues of golden fire whipping from his limp body. The fire draped around his orifices suffocated him first before killing him, sucking in the air from his lungs to feed itself.

She needed to jump over him to escape.

Judy got a running head start, bolting off then jumping over Creed, but then she tucked and rolled and all she could see was the embers flitting about in her tumbling vision. When she came to a halt, she slammed into the door, cheek smacking against the cement flooring.

She could feel the heat still flush against her cheeks, his whiskers likely singed from all the close contact.

She was winded still, gasping for air that quickly left her as the burning building just a scant few feet behind her still grew. If the fire didn't kill her, the warehouse that would eventually collapse certainly will.

But it never got the chance.

A blur of orange red fur filled her fading vision alongside her failing consciousness, and all she could hear before she passes out was Nick calling out her name, begging her to stay with him.

 **~o}** -̵̧̕͝-̀͠͝-̵̧̕͝-̕͏-̵̧̕͝f-̕͏̢-̷̕͝͞-̢̡̢i-͜͜͠͝͞ **-̛̛-̷͝͠** r-̵̧̕͝-̕͏̢e-̀͠͝ **{o~**

A tongue of flame breached the thin sheet walls of the warehouse, dancing behind the glass windows as the fires whipped, spurned, and multiplied. Soon the structure was crowned by flame, smoke billowing thick in the night sky.

It was not long until the warehouse was completely engulfed, any signs of a building lost under the burning gold expanse.

Judy, in her fleeting instance consciousness, watched it in awe as she's cradled in Nick's arms. She still felt the warmth, even from a distance, evaporating her sweat and boiling the blood that trickled from her cuts.

Nick called out to her still, watching her come in and out of consciousness. But when she finally came to, she was still bruised and in his arms, and she didn't want to open her eyes.

His voice died in her ears, muted beneath the cries of the helpless animals still trapped inside. Perhaps she was imagining them, but she had no doubt that at least some of them were still alive in there. The sight of skin and fur turning ashen black was still fresh in her mind, vivid and tangible beneath her shut lids.

Consciousness failed her once more as she's cradled in Nick's arms, the sirens filling the air as her world vanished in the muffled cries from her fox.

 **~o}** -̶̀̕͢-̢̡̢-͜͜͠͝͞ **-̷͝͠** N-͜͜͠͝͞ **-̛̛-̷͝͠** n-̵̧̕͝ **{o~**

She didn't stay in the hospital for long. Only for a night and he stayed with her throughout. A nurse tried to kick him out but he snuck back in minutes later, the custodian's key ring dangling off his hip. The same nurse found them in the morning and, with a dejected sigh, ultimately left them alone.

He brought her home that very morning, letting her rest in her own bed.

And as Judy awoke, stumbling into her living room to find him, she uttered the first words he's heard her say since the incident at the warehouse: "I'm hungry."

He fixed her a collard green salad, laced with strawberries, and dared to add some carrots. He's no cook, but a salad was an amalgam of greens and other things decoratively put together, and as a conman, he fancied himself an expert in appearances, hoping the salad looked better than it tasted.

But Judy didn't care for either the arrangement or the taste, what mattered was sustenance and liquids. She felt dry, and… _off_ somewhere, as if something inside her had snapped. Memories of last night blurred across a cavalcade of colors, gleaming gold and white hot, but nothing was coherent, nothing made sense in the slew of images that flashed before her.

"You alright there, Carrots?"

"I don't know…" she muttered into her plate, blinking away the stardust still lingering at the corner of her eyes, a knuckle rose to dispose of them.

Then the lights went out, her high rise apartment flush with shadows as even the sunlight was shut off by the passing rainclouds that crept steadily into the city.

"Ugh, damn storm…" Nick groaned as he left the room.

Alone with her thoughts, Judy found that she still remembered the heat bursting across her skin, and the smell of burnt flesh and narcotics. Then she remembered the great flame engulfing a warehouse, crowned by pillars of smoke above the fire, jeweled by the stars above, a great beast howling, roaring at the unperturbed moon.

Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered the still, lifeless eyes of Ansel Mason. His youth, ripped from him as his remains didn't even have the courtesy of going cold. Because there was fire burning around her, a hellish landscape she was scarce to believe she even escaped.

And then Nick returned, something held in his cupped hand, his face aglow, sending a rickety chill down her spine, staring wide eyed at him in the darkness.

"You really need more of these, Judes," he said, as he let some liquid drop to the counter, one he promised to clean later.

Then he placed the candle down onto the wax.

Then the tiny slither of flame erupts in her sullied vision, a pillar of great fire bursting into the ceiling, its golden edges reaching into the rest of the room. A face then emerged from the white hot center, the roaring visage of Denzel Creed ringing in her eyes. And his scream that followed was mimicked by her, filling the spaces as she fell out of her seat, watching the flame dance before her with that grave illusion begging for the pain to stop.

Nick scrambled to her, pressing her face to his chest as she sobbed openly, holding onto him for dear life.

 **In another world, fire has broken her spirit, the roars of any crackling flame call back the screams of an errant and erstwhile night, where golden slithers and grey plumes become demons in her mind's eye, haunting her.**

 **~o}** -̵̧̕͝-̀͠͝ **h** -̧̛́͞͠e-̶͜l-̴̵͘͠-̵̧̕͝p-̕͏̢-̀͠͝ **{o~**

Succeeding days went downhill from there. She tried to go back to work but it seemed that bright lights did as much harm her to addled mind as any crackling flame. She tried to hold it in during briefing but it was apparent to everyone that she was uncomfortable, hiding behind her flopped ears at the bright white fluorescent bulbs overhead.

She quickly excused herself from the room before she screamed again. It didn't help that both Bogo and Clawhauser misinterpreted her anxiety, asking her if it was about Ansel Mason and, _god,_ she could not believe that she had forgotten him amidst all this.

She broke down then but Nick, who was waiting at the front desk for her, ran over to pick her up, taking her away from them.

He left her in the locker room later to shower. He found that, on that first morning, that water made her feel safe, as if it would quell the burning sensation she felt rippling through her skin, crouched on the floor, hugging her knees as the droplets filled the gaps in her fur, sinking into her skin.

Clawhauser approached him as he leaned against the wall and he asked what's wrong with Judy. Nick found no reason not to tell him, and so he did.

Ben later told Bogo, who then told Judy to go home and seek help.

She refused, as she would, but her resistance died in his softened gaze. Knelt and on eye-level, Bogo told her that she needed to look out for herself. Because the world would be unkind to her if she did not give herself the time to heal.

So she went home and stayed there for a week, hiding in the darkness, meeting her therapist at the end of it. But then she grew restless, tired of her fear.

She tried to sit in a room with a candle again, Nick watching over her quietly, but then the flame roared and danced, the demon in it crawling out of it and taking her, sinking into her skin as she screamed for it to go away.

Frustrated that she, perhaps, might never heal, Judy forced herself back into the precinct, braving the haunting flame once more. But the congratulations she received died as Bogo lit a lighter before her, making her scream.

He scolded her for coming back too early, and she told him that she was afraid. Afraid that she might never function normally again, that she could never come back to work.

He told her that there would always be a place here for her, but it would not remain for as long as she kept forcing the issue. She needed to take care of herself first and foremost, and she'll only lose her job if she doesn't make that her priority.

So, with a fervor not unlike her, she went to her therapist with hard look on her face, demanding what powers might be that she find her answers here.

Lilianna Mandal was the name of her therapist, and the reserved old woman told her to consider altering her association. "Fire is not what you're afraid of," she told her, soft doe eyes laced with wisdom beneath her wrinkled skin, "it is the incident you associate it with. Your traumatic experience at the warehouse is everything that is haunting you, and to quell that, you must associate fire with something else."

 **~o}** -̵̧̕͝-̀͠͝-̶͜-̴̵͘͠s-͝-̵̵̡-̵̧̕͝t-͜͜͠͝͞ **-̷͝͠** -̶̀̕͢-̧̛́͞͠a-̶͜-̴̵͘͠-͝-̵̵̡-̵̧̕͝-̕͏̢-̷̕͝͞-̢̡̢-͜͜͠͝͞ **-̛̛** y **-̷͝͠** -̵̧̕͝-̕͏̢-̀͠͝ **{o~**

Judy didn't know what she was thinking. Or, better yet, wasn't thinking at all.

She wanted to cook something for herself, but the minute she turned on the oven and the curled flames ebbed out of the pipes, she jumped back and screamed. She fell to the floor, grasping onto the gas tank tied to the old machine and when she pulled it out, the gas ignited off the tip of the flailing rubber tube.

To her credit, she did find a fire extinguisher to douse the growing fire that ignited her walls, but the demon in her mind's eye still reached out for her, creeping along the flame as her attempts quell it appear feeble.

Nick bursts in then, and took the extinguisher, killing the flame and closing the gas. The roar of the flames were silenced then, but the fear that coiled through her system still ran hot across her veins, an adrenaline rush that causes her to scream, but not in panic.

She wailed as she clutched the fur on her head. She felt useless, broken and a million other self-deprecating things.

Nick was beside himself as he watched Judy curl up on her sofa, shaking from the freezing cold that, she found, comforted her just the tiniest bit, but enough to endure what it's doing to her body.

She's a wreck, a shadow of the woman she once was, now reduced to being babysat by her best friend as everything from a candle to even the mere mention of the warehouse triggered fears she buried in graves, altogether too shallow to ignore.

Life was ripped from her, color dim amidst the shadows as even the lavender in her irises seemed to gray, a vibrant soul trapped in a writhing husk smothered in defeat. Her muscles flex against the shifting cold, shivering further when the sun drops off the horizon, the last dull orange rays dying in the shadow of twilight. And when the light was gone, then came the glow from below.

She stared hard into the city lights beneath her apartment, a sea of neon fire burning iridescent against the cavalcade of darkened cement and concrete. It summoned thoughts of raging fire, blooming off the city lights to ignite the sky, filling it with smog, the beast within it roaring as it watched her from a distance. It did not scare her as much as it would have up close, but the fear lingered still and crept into her skin, wafting amidst the languid night that stilled and froze.

Nick closed the blinds then, sheltering her from the torment that might have come.

He sat beside her, and she let herself fall to his shoulder, shutting her eyes as she forced herself to sleep.

Then came the crackle of thunder, slick like a whip that followed the boom.

Judy's eyes shot open as light tore through the cracks in the blinds, the howling storm roaring through the sky. And it might have invited fear had the rain drops not peppered her window, a staccato rapping against the glass.

She was drawn by it, allured by the cold and the rain just outside, and Nick could see the way her eyes seem to light up at it, hopeful and wanting as the color returns to her eyes.

So then he took her by the hand and pulled her out of the sofa, a familiar smile curling at his lips. He asked her to trust him, she obliged and let him take the lead.

 **~o}** -̵̧̕͝-̀͠͝N-̧̛́͞͠n-̶͜ic-̴̵͘͠k-̵̧̕͝-̕͏̢-̀͠͝ **{o~**

The rusted metal door to the roof creaked with a low, heavy groan as Nick pushed it open against the heavy winds wafting about them. The fringes of the storm crackled through the city, a different rage piercing the sky as Judy basks in that energy.

It was raw and untamed like fire, but it was cold and white hot only in its electric tendrils.

Her gaze was lopsided, breathing in the air that smelt of rain, sweetened by the waning flame coursing through her heart.

She was midway through this hell, a step between the fire and the cold, and she could feel herself tipping either way. But her mind and heart won't give, still haunted by the lingering flame that left embers in the air, wafting like fireflies off the neon lights that still ignited the city below.

Nick saw that struggle in her eyes, trying to find a way to quell the demon raging inside of her. And he felt nothing but guilt. Because she would have been safe had he not wasted his day on another con, she would have been safe if he took her offer and been her partner on the force. She would have told him that it was not his fault, but how could he tell himself that if, in the end, he would watch her like this, a ghost of her former self drifting in the madness that haunted her corrupted mind.

So Nick approached her from behind, placing hand over her sleeveless shoulder, catching her attention. But before she could ask him what he was doing, his body slumped over her, cradling her in his arms.

 _Then she felt herself ignite, his warmth across her skin and the crook her neck._

"I'm sorry," he whispered, clutching her frame as a show of desperation.

She didn't ask the ask the what or the why, instead only letting her sullen frame bask in this warmth, leaning into his chest as the world swirled in her vision. Her hand crept up to cup his face that rested over her shoulder, and then their eyes met.

She could not, with any clarity, explain why it happened, but when she kissed him then, he turned her over take her flush in his arms.

His warmth feed the flame in her heart, coursing through her skin as her fur stood on end, her senses alight, her mind clear, wanting, needing, taking.

She was abreast in his fears, harboring his pain as he did hers, loving over and over and over again until the storm became background noise, and the flame became an afterthought.

She gasped as he entered her and he screamed her name when they came, and she could feel, _tangibly,_ just how much he loved her, with words he never uttered.

Perhaps she loved him too, perhaps he was what she wanted, perhaps he could fills the gaps and empty spaces in her lonely little apartment, and love her till she heals, and love her still if she doesn't.

 **~o}{o~**

In the morning she can feel the heat rippling through her skin that's still slick from their sweat across her dull fur, but she can still place the name of her of fear, her trauma still ebbing into her psyche in the fringed edges of the distant sun that peered through the city in great swathes of light.

But she can feel its roar quieting, its demon silenced by Nick's desperate loving cries.

She knew it was impossible to heal completely overnight – though she dared to hope – but the vestiges of some recovery sunk into the bubbling laughter from her tiny lips, surprising herself at the sudden sound.

Nick, having heard her, rose from bed to join her side at the window, watching the morning come as he kissed her neck.

And so he lit a fire in her heart again, and dared to dream of a day that she might be healed completely. And he'll love her all the way, as the wick to light her balefire, there until it sputters and dies as the wax turns to mist and the embers sail skyward, never to find her again.


	2. Chapter 2

Wilde Times

Written by: Lunar_Blue

Edited by: VulpineWizard and KeytoTruth12

 _Without these two, this work would never have seen the light of day;._

Chapter 1:

The sound of police sirens and revving engines filled the air. Ten police cruisers were in a car chase with a single black vehicle. The car was being driven by a fox with wine coloured fur. Riding shotgun, his partner in life and crime, a drab coloured bunny. The pair had just robbed the Furs National Bank, one of the largest in Zootopia, located in the heart of Downtown District.

"Here babe, get shootin, we need to lose these pigs." The fox reached down between the two seats pulling out a gun and handing it the passenger.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" The rabbit said with a smile, her purple eyes seeming to sparkle as she grabs the weapon, "HAHAHAHA, eat lead coppers!" The ashen rabbit yelled while hanging out the window of the speeding car, firing her tommy gun at the pursuing cars and puncturing the radiators of two of them, causing them to stop and abandon pursuit.

"Eight left Nicky." She said as she reloaded her gun, throwing the empty drum magizine out the window, coincidentally striking and cracking the windshield of one of the other cars. Fully Reloaded, she takes aim at the compromised windshield and lets loose another barrage of bullets. The rounds made impact, going through compromised glass as if it were paper and finding purchase in the driver, killing them instantly.

"Heh." The crimson coated fox smirked, "If I didn't know any better Judes, I'd say you're having way too much fun." Looking in the rearview mirror he saw the car, driver now dead, spun out of control and took out two more of their pursuers, and nearly a phone booth containing a white wolf with it.

"Nice sho- SHIT!" Looking back to the road, the vulpine saw the police had set up a road block,"HOLD ON!" The fox grabbed the back of the rabbit's red, fur tight dress and pulled her back into the car just as he made a hard left turn to avoid smashing into the cars, thus ending their getaway, and freedom, then and there.

"And you say I can't drive!" Judy said before leaning back out the window and letting loose another barrage of bullets. Keeping his full attention on the road now to avoid any more surprises, the crimson fox started to weave in and out of traffic haphazardly.

"Nicky, I have a plan!" Taking aim at the tires of one of the vehicles they had just passed, a bus, the ashen rabbit pulled the trigger and hit her mark. The right front tire of the bus exploded with a _bang_ , causing the driver to lose control, swerve hard, and flip over, taking out four of their remaining pursuers. The last one abandoned the chase to check on his fellow mammals' safety.

"Ya did it Judes, that's the last of em."

The bunny smiled and settled back into her seat, "Now let's get home"

~10 Minutes Earlier~

A white wolf walked into a phone booth to make a call he did NOT want to make. Picking up the receiver and dialing the number, he took a breath before they picked up, "There's been a little problem…." Was all he got out before the sound of gunfire and screeching tires attracted his attention, when he turned he saw three out of control police cruisers coming right at him.

~5 years earlier~

The Ashen rabbit was walking into Lemming Brothers, a small local bank. She had been planning this robbery for two days. Security was a laugh, a fat cheetah was the only guard there. This would be easy.

She had not planned on what she saw, a fox and rabbit, guns drawn and patrons down on the ground, "Get down on the ground carrots and you won't get hurt." He warned her. He had turned to bare his weapon on her.

"Oh you did not." Judy said as she drew her pistol and aiming it at the fox before he could blink, "Do NOT call me carrots you stupid fox." She pulled the trigger and sent a shot firing right past his head. The fox's partner turned to aim his weapon at the bunny as well, taking his eyes off the security guard.

"Woah woah woah. Now drop the gun Fluff," The fox smirked "I'd hate to ruin your pretty face."

Judy turned and shot the security guard, who was reaching for his weapon in the confusion. "Don't threaten me with a good time, fox." She winked at Nick and walked up the one of the counters, completely ignoring the two and put a duffel bag on it. "Everything in the drawers, or you end up like tubby over there."

The tellers looked between the three with a confused look on their faces. Turning around, the fox aimed his weapon back at the tellers, "Well, you heard the lady, get on with the money." He liked this bunny, she had moxie.

They pulled down an alley and Judy jumped out of the car to open the garage door before proceeding to shut it behind them. Nick turned the car off and slumped in the seat, breathing a sigh of relief. The ashen rabbit appeared next to the driver's window, carrying the duffel bags full of money they had stolen from the bank slung over her shoulders, "Let's go count our profit" She didn't even wait, immediately heading for the stairs that lead to their suite. .

"Tell Gilbert to make me a drink, will ya?" The vermilion fox called out, lighting a cigarette and took a long drag, "What a day." Getting out of the car he tossed the smoke on the ground and stepped on it, making his way inside.

"Hey, is my drink ready yet?" Closing the door behind him he walked into their suite and into the kitchen. Taking a seat at the table he opened up one of the bags and dumped it onto the table, beginning to count.

"Welcome back Nicky. I see everything went alright." Turning his head the fox saw a familiar shaggy black rabbit walking over to the table with a bottle of gin and two glasses in his hands.

"Gil! Make yourself useful" Nick laughed and flashed a smirk.

"Oh shut up Nicky" He smiled and sat down across from Nick, pouring gin into the two glasses and passed on to the fox.

"Oh we both know you wouldn't really shoot me." Nick and Gilbert clinked their glasses together and took a sip.

"Would you two listen?" Judy said as she walked out of her and Nick's bedroom, now wearing a dress that almost matched the colour of her fur. She stopped by the fridge and pulled out a carton of carrot juice then a glass from the cupboard before walking over to the table. Pouring a glass, she added some of the gin to it.

The three of them sat for some time, counting the profits and reminiscing about the past.

Nick and Gilbert had been childhood friends. Growing up in a ghetto, every day was a struggle just to survive. Nick, being a fox was looked down on and distrusted. So he gave them what they wanted and he learned to pick pockets

Nick was scrounging for scraps of food when he had come across a really scruffy looking bunny with black fur sitting under a bridge near a fire. The crimson fox started to approach, but as Nick got closer, the bunny took notice and shrunk away from him.

"Hey, I'm Nick." He held out his paw, "Can I join you?"

The ebony bunny was hesitant, just staring at the outstretched paw. Who was this fox, why was he not hitting him and calling him names?

"Y-You're not g-going to h-hit m-me?" Everyone had always treated him like he was a piece of meat, what made this fox so different? Was he just acting nice so he would lower his guard? That had to be it.

"Why would I…" The vulpine trailed off, taking notice of the bruises that covered his face, "What happened to you, are you alright?" He took a step closer to see the rabbit's face better but he quickly shrank away.

"Hey hey, I'm not going to hurt you." Nick quickly took a step back and put his paws up to show he meant what he was saying.

The rabbit slowly relaxed and stared into the fire, "Everyone else does." He said quietly as he wrapped his arms around his knees.

"Well I'm not everyone else." Nick noticed that the mammal's cloths were in tatters, "Come on." He held out his hand again, "Let's be friends."

The ebony rabbit turned his head to look at Nick, "Friends?" No, this fox was just crazy

The trio had just finished counting the results of their latest heist, "Well," Gilbert said looking over a notepad, "Assuming Nick didn't miscount again.." He was cut off before he could continue.

"One time!" The crimson vulpine quickly interjected. "Will you EVER let me live that down?"

"No. Now as I was saying." He shot Nick a smirk, "We made off with Two Hundred Grand."

"This calls for another drink." Nick poured three more drinks and they toast to a nice haul.

"You boys have fun. I'm going to go enjoy my drink while I take a hot bath." The ashen rabbit stood up and walked up to the bathroom, Nick and Gilbert's voices carrying all the way down the hall.

After running her bath and climbing in, Judy sighed as she took a sip of her cocktail.

" _The sun set sure is beautiful today..."_ she thought while looking out the window.

In the office of a Tundra Town mansion, an otter was being held by two polar bears over a hole on the floor.

"You're supposed to be my head of security. You let those two walk out with 200,000 of MY unlaundered money. Money, that can come back to me! You have failed me for the last time, Otterton." He tried to plea for his life but Mr. Big turned away and closed his eyes, "Ice him."

The otter screamed and fought as the polar bears submerged him in the freezing water and quickly replaced the cover. Frantic clawing and muffled screams could be heard as the otter fought for his life, then all was silent.

"Now then." The arctic shrew picked up his phone, dialing a number, "I need your services again. Manchas will pick you up at ten. I will tell you more over cannoli."

An ivory coated wolf walked into the central ZPD office and was greeted with mammals running around everywhere. Yesterday's bank robbery had created quite a stir within the department.

"Detective Howlett!" Gazelle standing/sitting behind a circular desk in the center of the foyer waved at the wolf, "Chief Bogo has a case for you."

The wolf walked over to the desk. "Hello to you too Sharon." He said while taking the file she was handing him. Yesterday's bank robbery? Alright," He closes the file and deadpans. "I'm going over to the bank to see what they could tell me about the perpetrators."


	3. Chapter 3

Untouchable

by PullTogether

Nick had already seen Judy die again and again, but it never got any easier to watch. Each and every time it happened, Nick felt like a piece of himself was being ripped away, and each and every time, he was the one who killed her by letting go. Like a reverse Grim Reaper, Judy needed Nick's touch to stay alive, and he could never hold on long enough. He was forced to let go because it was the only way forward (or was it the only way back?). Except the final death (or maybe the first death… Nick could never work it out) when his touch wasn't enough.

It all began and ended with death #1 (or #149, depending on how you looked at it) on a stormy spring night. Nick held Judy's mangled body in the street as sheets of rain washed over them. Her body shuddered out her final breath, and with crystal clarity, Nick would see the last time they'd held each other earlier that day. Then there would be a flash of light, and he was there.

The sun was still trying to break through the stormclouds that had rolled in that morning as they pulled each other close for a kiss. Not a chaste peck on his cheek, like Judy had done a few times before, but their first real kiss. They clung to each other in an embrace that was almost desperate.

The scenes after that unwound, like Nick was watching a movie of his life, until that night when the rain fell by the bucketload and she died again. He held her before the flash of light took him, and they pulled each other close again. Over and over, Nick held her broken body and the light took him back, like a never ending nightmare. Nothing he did could change the outcome until eventually Nick gave in and pulled away before their first kiss.

Then she always looked at him in shock and took a step back, and another, until she slipped on the curb and fell into the street. Nick could only watch in horror as a car ran over Judy, killing her instantly for death #2. Then there was a flash of light and he found himself two days earlier.

Nick and Judy crouched behind a car as stray bullets ricocheted off the walls of nearby buildings. She stood and started to race across the open area towards the wounded officer behind a nearby police cruiser. Nick grabbed her arm, preventing Judy from stepping into a sudden volley of automatic gunfire that peppered the spot directly in front of her. When Nick finally did stop himself from grabbing her arm, there wasn't much left for him to hold afterward before the bright light took him again after death #3.

Judy was hanging over an abyss. He held her paw and was finally able to drag her into his lap. They embraced. The scenes unwound until he couldn't stop her from being decimated by automatic gunfire. Eventually Nick would just stand silently and watch her grip loosen, and the surprise and confusion on her face before she fell to death #5 was the worst. He'd mostly stopped trying to save her in these situations because then he just had to go through the previous death (or was it the next death?) all over again. The only one he could never change was the last final death. So far it was inevitable, no matter what he did.

And so it went. Every hug, every touch, every caress: Nick remembered them all. And every time he avoided them, it led to Judy's death, one way or another.

Death #123 at the Gazelle concert was the weirdest one. When Judy moved to hip bump him as she danced enthusiastically to the music, he would dodge away. Judy would overcorrect and tumble over to fall under the trampling feet of a nearby elephant.

Death #128 occurred before he got on the train to the academy. When he avoided giving her a hug, she tried to follow him and would end up getting accidentally pushed from the train platform onto the third rail. Trying to avoid getting on the train didn't work either. If he tried to change things too much, Nick would wake up as if from a brief and restless nap, the same thing that happened if he somehow died. Just like that movie about the groundhog whose day kept repeating, Nick discovered even his own death couldn't break the cycle. He had some leeway to alter things, but not enough to stop fate. Like an ant on a Mobius strip, no matter which way Nick went he ended up at the same place eventually.

The times Nick avoided her touches in the pit at the museum were the worst, where he would inevitably accidentally smash the blue night howler sphere in his pocket and go savage. These were the only times he was directly responsible for her death, and he made sure to skip through them quickly.

The time under the bridge was almost as bad as the museum. Once Nick finally stopped himself from hugging her, Judy just assumed he'd never forgive her before she walked away and disappeared. Nick never saw her again. Eventually there was a blinding light and he found himself climbing out of the water.

Nick and Judy had just escaped the hospital. He barely made it to shore, and she grabbed his paw before she was pulled into a storm drain. Eventually, Nick would have to let the water take her for death #149. Weirdly enough, this was the happiest death, because it meant they were almost to the beginning of the end. Or was it the end of the beginning?

They rode in the battered gondola as it soared over the rainforest district through the early morning. Nick said, "If the world is only going to see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy, then there's no point in trying to be anything else."

Judy replied, "Nick, you are so much more than that."

She reached out to place her paw on his arm. Nick always wanted to move away to avoid her touch, but this was the one time he never would. Deep down, he knew that without this touch, none of the others would happen. Even with the pain and heartbreak ahead, he selfishly couldn't give up the rest. Nick was finally at the wellspring feeding the river that tore through his barren soul on its way back to his Sea of Misery. But now that he'd fought his way upstream, Nick felt the trip back was worth it.

The cycle began (or ended) again and the scenes of his life would unfold. Nick would grab her paw and pull her out of the water. He'd hold her as she wept and asked for forgiveness. He'd play his part in the ruse at the museum. Nick would hug her tightly before he went off to the academy, and he always smiled when she'd hip bump him at the Gazelle concert. All of these touches and more he would savor, treasures to be stored away for dark times ahead.

Inevitably they would stand in the morning rain again while they kissed for the first and last time, and his heart would sing with joy. This time things would be different, he just knew it. He'd shove aside the doubt until that night when he found himself standing over her broken body, sheets of rain falling around them.

He was afraid to touch her, but he could never force himself to let Judy go without holding her, because what if this was the last time? If he didn't hold her now, would she be gone forever?

Nick held her and wept. "Don't leave me again, Judy. I can't let you go." But he knew he would, just like he always did. Judy's last breath shuddered out in a final gasp. There was a flash of light, and Nick was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Story Title: Through the Telescope, from atop Ivory Towers . . .

Written by: twocentnuisance

Proofread by: DrummerMax64

. . . The city of Zootopia never rests. At night, it changes. If you close your eyes and breath through your nose, you may smell the perfume of drugs, liquor, sweat, sex, spent bullets, blood. If you hold your breath and listen, you might hear the monsters doing deals in the dark. And if you dare open your eyes, you might even be unfortunate enough to witness it all.

~ The Information Broker ~

A male bull named Hector sat outside one of Zootopia's many watering holes, across from a far more dangerous locale. An establishment blithely named 'The Bar', one that was full of secrets and had only a neon sign out front that read OPEN DUSK TILL DAWN.

He felt his temper get dangerously hot thinking about the mammal inside he was going to have a 'talk' with. Hector cooled himself with another shot of tequila. The waitress walked back out to hand him another shot and lime wedge. The saltshaker sat dutifully on the coffee table next to the bull.

The waitress, a young wolf, noticed the bull's angered stare at The Bar across the street. She thought briefly about saying something, but refrained. Regarding the establishment and its owner in open discussion was never a wise course of action.

Mammals have been killed for far less, she thought, pouring the next shot for the bull.

Hector stood, grabbing the ingredients for his fourth and final shot. He opened his mouth, threw in a strong dash of salt, followed by the shot of tequila. Lastly, he popped in the whole lime wedge and began chewing as he walked across the street.

Inside The Bar, several patrons whipped their heads around from their seats and conversations at the loud _Bang!_ of the doors being kicked open and seeing a male bull march in, nostrils flaring and eyes pinched in anger.

Asking no one in particular, Hector snarled, " _Where is he_?"

Behind the ornate bar counter and in front of shelves of expensive liquors, the barkeep, a large flying fox named Renfield, asked in a conversational and exceptionally baritone voice, "You must be Hector Williams." The flying fox ignored what every other mammal in the room was keenly focused on: the set of handguns hanging from Hector's shoulder straps.

Renfield summoned a pre-poured drink and slid the glass on the table towards the livid bull. "On the house, courtesy of Mr. Dracul –"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?!" Hector yelled back, feeling the heat radiate behind his eyes as he swiped the glass off the counter and into the wall. Like he was dumb enough to fall for accepting a likely laced drink, conveniently 'on the house.'

"I asked to see him! Where is that little parasite hiding!?"

Despite facing down a bull that was eagerly looking for a fight, the flying fox displayed neither panic nor distress. Instead, with one massive wing, he pointed to a door on the other side of the room. "He is expecting you. Go on ahead." The bull stormed off to meet the city's most infamous information broker.

Past the door and down a hall, Hector came to a stop in a small library and in front of a lawyers desk, where a tiny bat, dressed in a three-piece fitted suit, stared back. Off to the side was a female pig dressed in a nurse's uniform. She had no nametag. Hector exhaled heavily, trying to keep his intense rage under control.

The broker, a vampire bat named Vladimir Dracul, started the conversation in an unnaturally deep and collected tone. "Hector. You look a little angry."

Hector placed both hooves on either side of the bat and leaned in. "More like pissed beyond measure and disturbed that someone hadn't exterminated your kind years ago."

"You wound me. Is this really over that little spat with your associate?"

"Jamie woke up from a nap to find two of your parasitic brood drinking blood out of his neck."

"Yes, I know that," Vladimir replied. "I also know that in whatever stupor state Jamie was in, he swatted both of them like flies, killing both of them. That was yesterday. That leaves us in quite the predicament, Hector. You have yet to make amends with me."

Hector's temper reached a dangerously unsafe threshold. Be it the alcohol or his anger or both, he was feeling nothing but weightless fire in his muscles. "Make AMENDS?! With you!? You should be the one ponying up to me, you ungrateful little shit! What kind of mammal still drinks blood!? And then demands money!?"

"Pray tell, why should I be paying you?" the bat retorted, his own temper still evenly held.

"Because with one hoof, I can turn you into a bloody smear on your desk," Hector hissed. "And I think I've had enough of your little 'spies' flying around my operations. I'm not afraid of a glorified flying mouse with a taste for blood."

Vladimir inhaled deeply, then exhaled, holding Hector's stare. "That's a shame. You should be."

Hector replied. He thought he said, 'And why's that?' But what came out of his mouth was, "Ann whyz zath?" Hector lifted his hooves off the desk in surprise, and in equal surprise, found his balance slipping. He nearly fell backwards on his rear.

"Have you ever heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect, Hector?" Vladimir calmly asked him.

"Whaa – wha havv … " was what Hector managed in response. The bull realized he couldn't move his hooves or his mouth. The vampire bat continued.

"Two researchers, the namesakes of the aforementioned bias, coined the term while at Cornell in their research on overconfident idiots. The idea blossomed after reading about a weasel, McArthur Wheeler, who robbed two banks after rubbing lemon juice on his face. Do you know why Wheeler did so?"

Hector didn't reply; he was trying to focus on not falling to the floor.

"Of course you don't. I'll tell you why. Wheeler believed that because lemon juice can be used as invisible ink, the lemon juice would mask his face on surveillance tapes. He thought it was a foolproof plan. Now, I know you're not a smart bull, evident of your position now, but I'm sure you can put two and two together."

Hector fell to the floor and stared at the ceiling. His mind was still operating. How? He hadn't taken the obviously poisoned drink. So where was this coming from?

Why couldn't he move?

"My point being, moronic mammals are unaware that they are moronic because they are so damn moronic to begin with, and are unable to do anything about it. You, my dear Hector, fully embody the Dunning-Kruger effect because you are completely incapable of realizing why you are the only two-bit criminal to come charging in here. Thinking that you of all mammals in this city, of all the powerful crime syndicates and bosses, has any weight or power to push _me_ around."

Hector noticed the ceiling was alive, moving and twitching like muscle. But he also knew that was ridiculous. The ceiling wasn't alive. He was staring at a colony of a few hundred bats. All were licking their lips and staring right back at him.

"Information, Hector, is why no one has done to me what you've threatened. Cross me and I'll sell you out to every mammal that wants your head on a platter. Mammals continually underestimate the value of facts and rumors. For instance, I know a few powerful mammals that are not so happy with that secret little drug lab you're running out in Happytown. So I sold them the whereabouts of your gang's little hideout. Considering the odds, I doubt your amigos will survive the onslaught."

One bat dropped from the ceiling and landed next to Vladimir, whispering into his ear. "Hmm, thank you. Pardon the falsehood I've just imparted. Old news and speculation confirmed. All of your friends are dead, and that tiny apartment building you had your lab in is burning to the ground as we speak."

Now, Hector couldn't so much as move his mouth, let alone any part of his body. His heart was an avalanche in his ears. He felt spittle run from his open mouth. Hector also felt Vladimir land on the end of his snout, coming eye to eye with the broker.

"Information, Hector Williams, allowed me to know you were sitting outside my establishment for the last half hour, helping yourself to tequila. Tequila that I had laced with a highly diluted solution of deadly nightshade. Not enough to kill you, but more then enough to paralyze you for the rest of the night.

"Before we start, I should preface that no, nightshade is not poisonous to us. Our bodies are amazingly adept at filtering out the nasty contaminants from blood. And even all of us won't bleed you dry. That's what Lucy will do when we're all full." Vlad nodded over to the pig, who held up a needle and several IV bags. She smiled with as much emotion as an abused and abandoned doll.

"I normally don't personally dispose of mammals myself, but for a small-time wannabe dealer like you, my acquaintances and I will make an exception. No one in this city will miss you." Vlad leaned in and smiled.

"Besides, we're all very thirsty."

And with that, Vladimir bit into Hector's lip, and the dark mass of the colony fell from the ceiling and onto the bull. They completely covered him, sawing away at clothing and fur to get to the plump veins circling under his skin. A few younger bats began crawling into Hector's open mouth, looking for the softest flesh to open.

At the bar counter, Renfield listened after a bout of silence from Vladimir's study. The flying fox grinned at recognizing the sounds now drifting to his ears. The fevered and almost desperate sounds of chewing, suckling, and swallowing from many hungry mouths.

~ The Witch Doctor ~

 _It'll be worth it. The money will make life better. The money will be worth it. It'll be one hell of a payday._

A pack of wild dogs surrounded a faded orange shipping container, sitting in the maze of the Packard Distribution Facility, an admittedly gargantuan storage and distribution hub where tractor-trailers, trains, and aircraft shuttled large shipping containers in and out of the city. Their pack leader, a male named Jacoste, took a hard inhale on the last of his cigarettes at seeing two large and expensive looking vehicles appear from the rows of shipping containers. As much as he hated doing business on the landing spot, he would rather risk it here than anywhere else. Here, at night and with greased palms, mammals miraculously became blind to certain events.

"And that's showtime, lads," Jacoste growled in a heavy South Afurcan accent to his pack. "Let me do all the talkin'. Be cordial. This lot doesn't have a lit fuse on their tempers, but I know you've all heard the horror stories bout their boss. I assure you the reality is worse than whatever you've heard. So no remarks or mishaps and we all make a few pennies. Clear?" All of the other wild dogs nodded their heads in understanding.

Jacoste exhaled, standing a little taller and forcing his tail to remain out and not tucked between his legs. He had done business smuggling a whole manner of things in and out of the city with many mammals. It was his trade. You needed something, Jacoste could get it. He had some rules, goods and services he was simply 'unable' to provide, as far as businesses went. But this pushed the envelope. On both goods and clientele.

' _Code' doesn't really matter now, does it?_ Jacoste thought. _It all comes back to the dollar. And that, not code, is what matters._

The vehicles pulled up in front of them, headlights blinding. The sounds of doors opening, followed by gentle footfalls on the partially intact/partially knocked apart blacktop.

Tall, skeletal creatures emerged. Maned wolves, all part of a criminal outfit referred to by the abbreviation 'C.C.' Jacoste knew what that actually stood for, as well as the horribly gimmicky 'street' name local thugs too stupid to keeps their maws shut said C.C. stood for. Yet it stuck. Catchy names have a way of sticking.

Jacoste also heard the leader of C.C. thought the gimmicky name was something 'funny'. Probably told the poor son of a bitch who voiced the new definition just how 'funny' it was while castrating him. Yet the catchy title persisted.

One maned wolf approached Jacoste in their telltale, purposefully slow and wide gait. She wore a pea coat and rectangular frames and looked like the kind of mammal who'd probably never even heard of a smile.

"You must be our buyer," Jacoste said.

"Where is the order?" The female maned wolf asked, eyes scanning over the other wild dogs who returned her gaze.

"Where's our payment?" Jacoste felt something turn in his stomach at seeing both of her empty paws. Perhaps the answer to his question.

"Payment will be distributed upon confirming that you have everything ordered," she answered. She both looked and sounded unamused. Jacoste wanted to ask for her name, but that would mean one sentence more than he'd like to share in these kinds of things.

"Alright," Jacoste said. He issued a quick bark. "Get out the shipment." His pack obeyed, opening the rusted doors of the shipping container. Some of the product intended for someone else fell to the ground. Spuds, some sprouting green and white flowering parts. And of course the retched smell. Good for covering up more concerning scents like oil and gunpowder.

A few dogs began digging through the potatoes, summoning up smaller metal containers buried only a foot or so into the shipment of produce. In a few minutes, several were in an ordered line on the ground. Jacoste went and opened each one.

"Five shipments of HK416 automatic rifles chambering 5.56, fifty total," Jacoste started, prying off lids with a crowbar and counting each weapon. The female maned wolf kept a slow and even pace with him, visually examining each weapon.

"One shipment of Benelli M4 semi-auto 12 gauge shotguns," Jacoste said. "Suppressors for each. That's five and five even. Lastly. . ."

Jacoste and the maned wolf stopped at a singular case that was both larger and longer than all the rest. Jacoste pried the lid off, looked at its contents, and swallowed.

The rifles and shotguns he got. Well, as much as a smuggler could get why a crime lord –

 _More like a warlord_

– wanted them. But other mammals, other outfits, including the police, had similar arms. Competition to keep this one, the Witch Doctor, in check. But Jacoste strongly doubted that anyone else in the city owned something like this. And that drastic inequality in power was a little more than unsettling.

"And one Barrett M82 .50 caliber antimaterial weapon system," he breathed. The word 'antimaterial' and what it implied made him sick to his stomach. Not 'armor piercing.' Not 'incendiary.' Just antimaterial. Anti everything unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end.

Jacoste nodded to seven other crates. "And all the ammunition and magazines for each and every toy."

All heard a car door click open. Jacoste actually sighed in partial resignation at seeing the titular Witch Doctor stride out from the car and walk over to the female maned wolf and the wild dog.

 _A monster with many names_ , Jacoste thought. _And I don't know which to call him. Eccentric sociopath certainly fits. Has a cane but clearly walks like he doesn't need one. But he'd be the mammal to call someone else 'eccentric' after he took away a limb and some teeth._

"That's everything," Jacoste said as the top hat-wearing maned wolf calmly strode over and began inspecting each box. His hat was adorned with a crimson band of ribbon, which held down three different birds' skulls, several rooster feathers, and a small vial containing an unknown fluid. He wore a white open button-down underneath his pea coat, both of which were elongated to fit the seemingly stretched proportions of the long bodied mammal.

The Witch Doctor stopped in front of the Barrett. He didn't move and his tail ceased the slow wagging speed it had previously been set at. Relative silence. The powerful stench of maned wolf in the air and the admittedly scared scent coming from Jacoste's pack.

Jacoste's question to the crime lord felt like throwing up a stone. "Everythin' alright?"

"What violent delights," the Witch Doctor purred. "For such violent ends." He turned to Jacoste and smiled with all of his teeth. The fear of a far more imposing predator made all the hairs on Jacoste go on end. He consciously suppressed his hackles from bristling up and forced the words out.

"You'll find everythin's as ya requested. Fully automatic on the rifles. Suppressors for the shotty's. And the targetin' computer for the Barrett's scope." _For accurately blowing apart a mammal or several from more than a mile away_ , Jacoste added to his mental sales pitch. "The Barrett scope ain't sighted, though."

The Witch Doctor smiled wider. "That is alright. I happen to have a volunteer who will be helping zero it in and testing it. There are some lovely pastures outside of the city limits. Fields of flowing grain." Another stone of fear, hot and sickly, dropped into Jacoste's stomach.

"Have you tested any of them?" The Witch Doctor asked. "Know for a fact that they fire as advertised?"

"None of my crew nor I have touched em till right now. But, my contact is reputable. Got em from across the pond. Funny thing, with all those wars and plagues and famines . . . things tend to get disorganized. Shuffled about. Lost in translation. Things tend to go missin'. But, to the best of my knowledge, everythin' here should be as advertised."

The Witch Doctor's smile vanished. "You would not ever dare lie to me . . . would you, Jacoste?"

Jacoste felt like throwing up, and answered truthfully. "No. I wouldn't dare." A pause in the conversation. The Witch Doctor took long and slow steps towards the wild dog, who was trying as hard as he could to not take equal steps in reverse. The maned wolf stopped a foot from him. Jacoste had to look almost straight up at his face.

The Witch Doctor waved over his shoulder with two fingers. Another maned wolf came forward, holding a large briefcase. The maned wolf with glasses, the female, took it and handed it to Jacoste. Other members of C.C. began walking over and taking the weapons crates to the cars.

Jacoste opened the case to find himself staring at dollar bills. Many, many dollar bills.

"Your payment for successful delivery of our order," the female with glasses said, pulling out a tablet and typing away. "One hundred and fifty thousand is your payment."

Jacoste stared at the money for a length of indiscernible time – he and his pack's payday – until he felt a stare burning into him from above. He looked up to see the Witch Doctor observing him.

"Have you ever seen, with your own eyes, a crocodile?" The Witch Doctor asked Jacoste.

"No."

"Neither have I," The Witch Doctor replied. "But a childhood friend did. Right when he looked into the river we played in as kits. Right as he was panning around in the mud, hopeful for a nugget of gold that river was rumored to hold. I was right next to him, closer than you and I are right now, and I never even heard the scream. Just felt the wave of water that fell over me from the attack. Then seeing him gone, and the water settle. I remember thinking how quiet it all was. It was so . . . calculated. So . . . exact. And I remembered thinking how thankful I was to have had my friend there to be the crocodile's interest."

Jacoste stared up at the monster with many titles. He worked his jaw.

 _Why – why are you –_

The Witch Doctor leaned in, lips peeling back, ears depressing, a mean look in his eyes. "Be wary of your environment. Be aware of what Nature gives you. And know how much or how little luck favors you.

"And remember to say _thank you_ ," he growled.

Jacoste went numb. He looked at the briefcase full of money and back at the maned wolf.

In a small voice, he breathed back, ". . . Thank you."

Like flipping a switch, the Witch Doctor's face snapped into a different syntax. His ears shot back up, a smile popped across his muzzle, and his eyes seemed to light up in glee.

"And to you too, for the good business," he told Jacoste as he sauntered back to his car with the other wolves.

The moment C.C. left in their expensive cars, Jacoste's pack surrounded him, all wearing excited expressions for their payout. He heard them all, heard how they were going to 'live a little', how they were going to finally upgrade, how they would buy better food, find better living areas. How, if not for just a little, it would be better. None noticed Jacoste's empty stare at the cars, none asked why he was staring off.

 _Pipedreams_ , he thought, because before they all knew it, the money would run out, and they'd be back doing another terrible deal like this. Maybe something with higher stakes. Maybe something worth a bigger payday. Maybe something with more terrible consequences.

Like the poor mammal Jacoste just saw illuminated in the back seat of the Witch Doctor's car. Still alive, bound, gagged, and missing parts of his face. Like one entire ear. Likely the volunteer to help zero in that new antimaterial rifle.

Maybe a job with consequences as horrible as that.

But for now, payday.

~ The Contract Killer ~

Not all rodents in Zootopia live in Little Rodentia. In fact, a large majority resides outside of the upscale, rodent-exclusive neighborhood and instead cohabitates throughout the rest of the city. Such was the case for one Mr. Joey Valachini, a grey mouse who, unbeknownst to most, was going to trial as a key witness against one of the more powerful crime bosses in the city: Mr. Big.

Joey Valachini thought that it was worth mentioning to the police that he had seen a hit take place. Joey Valachini thought that Mr. Big had no idea that he was going to snitch. Joey Valachini was dead wrong. Mr. Big had hired someone to reiterate to all worth telling just how wrong Joey was to cross The Family. So Mr. Big hired a contract killer, an ocelot named Raymond Strauss, to set Joey Valachini up for a fatal 'accident.' _Whatever works_ , the shrew told the ocelot. _Just make sure it looks more like an 'accident' than 'murder.'_

Raymond had an idea in mind. And that idea started with the Yellow Pages.

The ocelot watched Joey enter his small apartment that was built into the front of a much larger condominium. A hole in the wall that was a home for a mouse, and Raymond also deduced there were only two points of entry into the small rodent's abode in an earlier chat with the landlord.

"And you'd like to rent from us, Mr. . . ?" The landlord inquired.

"Parsons, Anton Parsons," Raymond replied. "Although, I do have a question about the rodents living here."

"Shoot."

Raymond leaned in, as if to divulge a secret. "You see, at one of my previous residences, the landlord allowed rodents to cohabitate as well. Now, I'm not being speciest in saying that I don't want to live in the same complex with rodents, but there was a serious problem with them specifically living in the building."

The landlord, a pangolin with spectacles, squinted. "And what was that?"

Raymond rolled his shoulders, as if uncomfortable about the topic. "The housing for the rodents allowed them access into the structural foundation of the building itself. So from their apartments, they were cutting through the thin plaster walls to run around the maintenance and structural interiors, climbing on wires and beams and moving between other tenants' apartments." He sighed. "And there were several instances of rodents spying on and filming mammals in their 'private affairs' and blackmailing them."

The pangolin reeled back. "Oh my Lord. . ."

The ocelot put on a pained smile. "Mhmm. Hence why I am curious about your rodent tenants and their living arrangements."

"Well, you won't need to worry. All of the walls for each apartment are brick laid. I've heard no accusations or even rumors of the smaller clientele burrowing through the walls in this building." The pangolin leaned back in his chair. "Hell, only way a mouse could go in and out is either through the front door or the chimney."

Raymond laughed because it was the socially polite thing to do at a comment like that. The pangolin smiled back and said, "So, are you still interested?"

"I'll be in touch," Raymond replied. He thought about that empty little promise as he watched Joey the mouse enter his apartment from across the street where Raymond was pretending to be someone he wasn't.

And now, the ocelot crossed the street, dressed in an acquired postal worker's uniform and gloves, tossing out newspapers and far heavier items. Like the newly updated Yellow Pages. Raymond made sure to go down the length of the street, keeping his head to the ground. One toss summoned a mammal who had been waiting for the morning mail, an old Hippo with coke bottle lenses.

"Thanks!" the hippo called. Raymond heard the hippo mutter to himself in a satisfied tone, "Thank God for the Yellow Pages."

A well-timed yet gentle toss put one directly in front of the small front and only door of Joey Valachini's apartment. Raymond made sure to discreetly and securely set the medium mammal-sized text directly against Joey's door as he walked past. The book was even taller than the door. One of two contained. No way a mouse could even budge the text. And all it would look like was a poorly timed mailman's toss. A careless mistake.

Raymond hugged the corner of the apartment building and went directly to the pre-located, comically small chimney that jutted out from the brick foundation. The ocelot scanned back and forth. No onlookers. He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a glass tube with a very starved and very hungry occupant.

Larger 'exotic pets' were extremely hard to locate in the city on account of them being illegal to purchase, possess, transport, or sell. Especially carnivorous ones that could prey upon smaller mammals. Like the foot-long giant centipede angrily and hungrily biting at the plastic lid to escape its confines. To any mammal but a mouse, an excruciatingly painful bite and a terrible temper. To a rodent like Joey . . . a hungry predator that did not evolve a bargaining conscious nor the ability to eat alternatives.

Raymond leaned in and put an ear in front of the chimney. He listened, and heard the tiny footsteps of a mouse moving about his apartment. Heard him curse as his seeds burned in the toaster. Heard him pour himself coffee.

Raymond unscrewed the lid containing the voracious insect and immediately pressed the tube to the chimney. _The weight of the bug should break past the flue_ , he thought. The centipede didn't scurry out of the tube right away. Instead, it oriented itself head towards the chimney. Its antenna twitched. Picked up the lingering scent of mouse wafting up from the chimney. The ocelot watched the centipede hurriedly exit the tube and disappear into the chimney, long antenna oscillating in slow waves, blindly feeling the walls of the entrance and further in.

The moment the centipede fully slipped into the chimney, Raymond resumed putting his ear to the impromptu entrance and listened. Whether the chimney flue did not hold or Joey left it opened, Raymond heard many legs empty at the fireplace and begin drumming around the apartment's floor.

The ocelot listened. He heard a mouse go quiet. He heard many, many legs. Many segmented, chitin joints gently clicking together as the rope-like body crawled.

Raymond then heard, "Oh . . . oh God . . . Oh God Jesus What the Fuck OH GOD!" Then the screaming, running, many, many legs moving quickly. Furniture knocked over. Glass breaking. The door repeatedly slamming into something too heavy to move. "Open! Shit! OPEN!" A brief pause of silence.

And then came the _real_ screaming. The screaming beyond the formation of words. The screaming of someone being stabbed, impaled, injected with tissue-dissolving venom. The screaming of a mammal that was beyond frightened, because he knew, on some primordial level, that he was going to be eaten.

Raymond moved back onto the street. A few mammals were walking to work now, all too absorbed in their coffees or sleep-addled minds to notice him. Or to notice the Yellow Pages distributed to every door, big and small, at every mailing address, including the one that just happened to land in front of the address for Joey Valachini. A careless mistake.

Who knows, maybe in a few days someone would come along and notice whatever remained of Joey. If there was anything left. The supplier who sold Raymond the centipede told him that giant centipedes were ravenous eaters, and left not one part to waste.

The ocelot walked away from the apartment and into the morning light, his job successfully completed.

 _Thank God for the Yellow Pages._


	5. Chapter 5

Big Trouble

By UneventfulWaffle

It was a quiet day in the center of Zootopia as Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps were on patrol, In the moment as they were passing by the First National Bank of Zootopia, The alarm began to ring out.

"Z-248, this is dispatch we have reports of a 211A in your area, over."

"This is Z-248, Copy that moving in to investigate." Said Nick.

"Z-248, Do not engage, you are to stay where you are."

"Direct orders from the chief, he wants the two of you out of this."

"We have other units en route to your location."

Nick let out a sigh before responding on the radio.

"Copy that, Over."

"Why the hell doesn't Bogo want us in there?" Questioned Judy.

"I don't know, but this is bullshit, We should be in there helping,"

Not sitting on our asses in this car waiting for them to get away." Said Nick

"Orders are orders, Nothing we can do about that."

"And here I was thinking you knew me." Said Nick

"I'm going in there."

"You running in there probably isn't a good idea."

"Well I can't just sit here doing nothing, You can come along if you want,"

"If not just stay put in the cruiser and be ready for whatever happens."

"This is stupid Nick, It's _suicide_."

"Whatever you say carrots, I'll be back in no time."

Nick moved his way out of the cruiser slowly approaching a window of the bank to scope things out, Before going back in he decides to go back to tell Judy his plan.

"Alright, looks like three guys, Couldn't get a very good look though that window, I'm going to try to sneak around through the back of the bank and see if I can get the jump on them."

"Okay, Good luck Nick, I'll be waiting"

"just please don't go getting yourself killed in there." Said Judy anxiously.

"Don't worry yourself too much there Carrots, I'll be in and out in no time."

"You had better be..."

Nick set off towards an alleyway leading behind the bank.

Immediately Judy began to fear the worst.

 _What do I do if he doesn't come back?_

 _Do I just sit here and wait?_

 _This is gonna drive me insane... I should be in there with him, Not cowering in this damn car. This is so idiotic. Judy thought to herself._

Ten minutes had easily passed since Nick left Judy's sight, Not one sound, No sign of Nick. When in that moment, a roar of gunfire rang out from the bank, The doors flew open and out ran 3 polar bears, rushing into a vehicle that parked there long before Nick and Judy had.

Sure enough, behind them followed Nicholas Wilde.

"NICK GET IN!" Judy screamed at her partner. After flinging their car door open.

The fox quickly entered the passenger's seat of the old cruiser as Judy sped off now in pursuit of their vehicle, Sirens blaring.

"this is Judy Hopps unit Z-248 we are in pursuit of 4 assailants of code 211A, appears to be 3 gunmen and their driver, Over."

"Z-248 do not pursue, Report back the the station immediately!, Do you copy?!"

"They're gonna get away if we do not pursue, tell the chief that's not gonna happen."

"What the hell happened in there?!" shouted Judy.

"Well I snuck in through the back as you know, perfect spot, right by the vault but still nice and hidden, I had a good view into the lobby, didn't look like anyone was hurt so I stayed put and waited for them to finish bagging, as they were heading out of the vault I tried to tell them _drop the weapons and the cash and everything turns out a whole lot better_ , So naturally, They told me to fuck off, Ran away, and shot at me."

"I started shooting, then I realized who we were dealing with..."

"who were they?"

"Well, here's the downside, it was a few of Big's goons..."

"oh great, Just _Great_!"

"We should have just listened to the damned radio! No scratch that."

" _YO_ U should have just listened to the damned radio!" said Judy belligerently.

"Hey I'm not the one driving after these guys right now." replied Nick.

"You just had to go in there and get us involved didn't you?"

"of course I did, and judging by the gunfire they didn't quite appreciate it" Said Nick sarcastically.

"oh Jesus Nick! You're hit! What did I tell you?! We have to get you to a hos-"

"Now's _really_ not the time Carrots, I'll be fine, It's just a flesh wound anyway."

Judy could tell just by first glance it was far worse than the fox was letting on, Blood was pouring from his side Faster than she had even thought possible.

"Nick, we have to go now!"

"Fuck that, the sooner we catch these bastards the sooner I'll go to a hospital, deal?"

"Shit... Deal."

A new found determination took over Judy's entire body, her partner's life on the line, her _best friend's_ life on the line.

Slamming her foot on the gas pedal, she sped up her pursuit, weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds almost as though this was all routine for her.

"Carrots, where's the first aid kit? It's not in the glove box."

" _dammit_! _S_ tation has up keeping them in the trunk now."

"Well shit... you got a light?"

"now isn't quite the time for a damned cigarette Nick!"

"Well seeing as we don't have medical supplies in here I need something to close up this wound I'm not gonna last too much longer otherwise."

Nick's vision was beginning to blur as they sped after their assailants.

" _Shit,_ good point, It's in my pocket, hold on a second."

"Got it."

"Alright, give it here"

"here put this in your mouth too while you do it."

"a gag? Carrots at least take me out to dinner first." he quipped at his partner.

Judy clearly wasn't too pleased with his comment.

"Just trying to lighten the mood,"

"Now's not the time." barked Judy

Nick let out a resigned sigh before flicking the lighter on.

"Well, Here goes nothing..."

"good luck Nick."

Pressing the lighter to his side Nick let out a scream, deafening even through the rag filling his mouth, The searing pain rivaled even the gunshot wound he was attempting to fix.

" _ **NICK! Jesus! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"**_

Nearly passing out from the pain Nick snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, Yeah I'm good, turns out burning a fucking gunshot wound hurts like hell, literally, Who'd have thought?"

"Just focus on the road carrots or else this gunshot won't be the only thing killing me."

"It looks better for now at least." Said Judy attempting to reassure herself and Nick.

"We're almost on 'em too." pointed out Nick.

He was right, They were fast approaching their target vehicle. As they did so the vehicle opened fire, bullets narrowly avoiding Nick and Judy.

"SHIT GET DOWN!" barked Judy

"Way ahead of you cottontail!"

The other vehicle was plowing through traffic, slamming into cars, in an attempt to cause the speeding vehicle in their pursuit to crash. Ignoring pedestrians and other officers in their way, Forcing them to leap away from the car.

"Alright nick here's the plan, I'm gonna try to pull up next to them"

"I want you to see if you can take out their tires."

"Sounds like a plan."

Judy accelerated after their assailants, attempting to avoid all obstacles being thrown at them was difficult, But she was handling it quite well.

Bullets still flying at Nick and Judy, at this point it was nearly impossible to see through the windshield, the fabric of the seats being torn apart with each foot they drove, each bullet piercing the vehicle, hitting the engine slowed them down.

Nick unholstered his pistol and prepared to open fire, However the streets were to crowded to safely shoot at the vehicle.

"Carrots you're gonna have to get up closer to 'em, I can't get a clear line of sight here."

"Oh, and uh, why aren't we moving anymore?" Nick questioned.

"Because there are no openings Nick."

"Everything's stopped bumper to bumper out there..."

 _What the hell did we start?_ Judy thought to herself.

It looked like a war zone out there, bullet holes everywhere, people had just abandoned their cars in the streets to try to get away from the gun fight.

accidents all over the place meant to slow Nick and Judy, It had worked almost perfectly, Except for the fact that the criminals were now in the same situation as they were.

"Then it looks like we're just gonna have to get out and move up."

"looks like it partner..."

As they exited the vehicle you could hear a pin drop, The city was silent waiting to see what would happen next, no moving traffic, no birds, just _nothing._

"Nick I don't like this, I don't like this one bit."

"It's okay Carrots, We've got this under control right?"

"I'm gonna move up to their door, and try to talk to them."

"Okay..." Said Judy hesitantly.

Nick was no more confident in his plan than she had been,

but it was the best that he could think of at the time.

"Open the damn door you idiots! We know you're in there!"

Nick couldn't hear a thing coming from inside the vehicle, and he didn't dare try to get a peek through one of their windows.

He motioned for Judy to approach him.

"See if you can hear anything coming from inside the car" Whispered Nick

and in return whispered "got it" from Judy

As she pressed her ear to the door she could hear movement as well as faint conversation.

"If we don't get this money out of here the boss'll kill us!"

"Well what do you propose we do then? The car's stuck and we have no ammo to shoot our way out of here."

"Who the hell needs ammo? We have teeth and claws for a reason, We've just gotta get up close and finish 'em off before they can react."

Judy backed away from the van and nodded to Nick.

"Is that so?" Said Judy smugly drawing per weapon before nick pulled the doors open.

"God _dammit!_ You idiot did you forget she was a bunny?! she could hear you from a mile away!"

"alright, show's over, drop your guns and exit the vehicle, _slowly_ ,"

"I don't wanna see any teeth or claws either." Said Judy

Nick tossed the polar bears handcuffs.

"Put those on and get in the back of the car, and don't try anything." Nick said firmly.

"The boss ain't gonna be too happy about this,"

"We might just have to tell him who picked us up."

"Be a real shame if he sent someone after you, I can see it now, _Hero cops murdered under mysterious circumstances!_ "

"Yeah, Or maybe we'll just tell the precinct about your ties with Mr. Big."

"I hear the ZPD doesn't take too kindly to corruption."

"Shut up and get in the car."

"You say a damn thing to _anyone_ about us."

"and prison will be the least of your concerns." threatened Judy.

"not so tough now huh?" Taunted Judy.

"Carrots." Said Nick.

"Hold on a second Nick, There's not room for all three,"

"We're gonna have to call in some backup."

Judy heard a thud, She turned to Nick, His wound had reopened and he had passed out right there on the ground.

"Shit... _**NICK!"**_

She rushed over to her partner on the ground, blood was everywhere. She applied pressure to his wound and radioed for backup, tears rolling down her cheeks with a frog in her throat.

"This is Judy Hopps I have an officer down! I need an ambulance immediately! I repeat I have an officer down! Nick is shot! Send and ambulance immediately!"

"Ha! So I _DID_ hit the son of a bitch!"

Judy's head began to swell with rage, her blood boiling now knowing what this polar bear had done to Nick.

" _ **you... run now..."**_ Judy said with teeth gritting.

"What, So you can tack on an extra sentence for resisting arrest? No thanks rabbit."

"No..." Murmured Judy.

She turned her head to the polar bear instantly he realized the mistake he had made, She drew her pistol on him and once more said.

"Run..."

"Shit! This bitch is fucking crazy!" shouted the polar bear before attempting to take off down the street.

However, at that point it was too late, Judy had snapped, and she had already made up her mind before she even opened up her mouth.

 _ **BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

The shots rang out for miles, three shots had been placed squarely in the polar bear's back as he tried to run away.

She looked over to her vehicle, her two other suspects were in shock.

She mustered her tears back up before calling in once again.

"Oh god... I have one suspect down! He tried to run, Oh god... why did he try to run?"

she stayed with Nick until units arrived on the scene.

"Hopps!" shouted Chief Bogo.

"I need you to come with me down the station, I need to speak with you privately." said Chief Bogo calmly, although Judy could tell he was clearly, very upset.

"I can't, Chief I need to go to the hospital with Nick." said Judy, still recovering from her tears.

"There'll be time for all of that later, Right now however we need to talk."

"And what if there isn't time? What if he doesn't make it?"

"Don't worry Hopps, He'll be fine, besides there's not much you can do for him while he's unconscious is there? Now come with me."

"Okay..." Said Judy quietly, Holding back tears.

Looking back on Nick being rushed off in the ambulance.

Now back at the station Judy was greeted by Clawhauser.

"Hey Judy, I just heard the news, I'm so sorry."

I'm sure he'll be fine though!" Said Clawhauser cheerfully.

"Thanks Clawhauser."

"Hopps, This way."

Judy let out a sigh before speaking. "Alright."

Everyone stared at Judy as she walked with Bogo to his office, she could hear people whispering behind her back, but she was unable to make out a word they were saying.

"close the door behind you." Said Bogo.

Judy shut the office door behind her quietly, so as not to draw attention.

"Chief I-"

"three Times Hopss!" shouted Bogo.

"What are you-"

"I gave you orders three times, and not once did you listen!"

"What were we supposed to do? Let them get away?"

"You and Wilde would've both been better off had you _listened_ _to your orders._ "

"Well in the end we got them, Isn't that what matters?"

"That's right Hopps, You did."

"What do you think everyone's talking about out there?"

" _She caught them! can you believe it? Isn't that amazing?_ " said Bogo mockingly.

"I don't understand..."

"No, You don't."

"Those two polar bears you arrested, We brought them in for questioning."

"and do you know what they told us?"

"They said you've been working with Mr. Big."

"And now these rumors arespreading like a god damn wildfire!"

"Now I've been doing my best to keep things under wraps for the time being, But people are catching on."

"You have to take care of whatever it is you do with Mr. Big, Or else this whole thing will explode, And now that I'm involved I don't want to go blow up with you."

"you've got one week to take care of this, Or things will go bad quickly."

"Now get down to the hospital and go see iof Wilde is awake, you should tell him about all of this."

"Thanks for the heads up Chief I will, I appreciate it."

The whole trip over to the hospital Judy couldn't stop thinking about Nick, _oh god please be okay, this is all my fault, I should've gone in there with him, Who the hell does that? I swear if you're not awake when I get there..._

As she entered the hospital a nurse greeted Judy.

"Hello Ma'am, What can I help you with today?"

"Um I'm looking for my friend Nick, Nick Wilde?"

"hold on a second let me check here for you."

"Okay here it is, It looks like you friend is gonna be down the hall to the left and up the stairs, Then it should be about six doors down on the left, Room A113."

"Thank you."

Judy made her way to the room and was greeted by a familiar voice.

"oh _heeey, Carrots!_ what're _you_ doin' here?"

"Oh thank god you're okay Nick, I was so worried! How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a lot better now that they've got me on whatever _this_ stuff is."

"That's morphine Nick."

"ah whatever, they can call it whatever they want as long as it's workin'"

"I'm gonna let you get some rest okay? I'll be right here if you need me."

"I don't need you Carrots _I want you_."

Judy was shocked at what Nick had just told her, and she turned beet red.

" _ha ha ha!_ that was a joke! you should've seen the look on your face Carrots!"

The next few days were pretty interesting for Judy, Nick was much more entertaining when he was on his pain meds, He enjoyed Judy's stories and gossip far more than he usually would while sober, he was much quicker to comfort Judy about the rumors and gossip of what had happened after that chase, six days later the nurses said that Nick was ready to quit his meds, Which was good because Judy was running out of time waiting for Nick to be completely coherent to debrief him about Mr. Big.

"Whoa whoa whoa, Wait a minute, and people actually believed them? Have you said anything?" Said Nick in disbelief.

"I haven't said anything, I'm not exactly comfortable with press conferences anymore you know." Said Judy with a tone of shame.

"There's always doubt Nick, once someone places it you know it doesn't go away, Not for a long time, People spreading it around didn't help too much either, Half of the damn city knows at this point."

"What can we even do about this? Mr Big will kill us if we try to stop co-operating with his 'organization'"

"I've got nothing here Nick, I was honestly hoping you'd come up with something."

"and we have one day?"

"One day." Repeated Judy.

"Well then, Let's go."

"What? Nick we can't just leave, You're only just off your medication, and there's no way we'll be able to just walk out of here without someone spotting us."

"You underestimate me carrots, Go close the door."

"Nick, Why?"

"Just trust me here okay?"

"okay now what?"

Have you ever seen one of those shows where people make their own makeshift rope?"

"Start stripping these beds."

"This'll never work."

"Just trust me okay? I've done this before."

"While recovering from a gunshot wound?"

"Okay, Maybe not exactly like this, but it's the same concept either way."

"You're sure two beds is enough?"

"we're only on the second floor Carrots, two beds'll be more than enough."

Nick and Judy began tying together pillow cases and sheets preparing to make their descent out the window of Nick's hospital room.

"You sure you're good to do this?"

"Well no, but I don't think there's much choice is there?"

Judy hated this whole situation but she knew Nick was right, They couldn't wait any longer.

"Now help me up will ya?"

"Okay." Said Judy reluctantly.

"Alright, Now I'd say we'll have about twenty seconds after we unhook me before they start rushing in here, So we've gotta be on that rope immediately."

"Got it." said Judy.

"Okay, It's now or never, you ready?" Said Nick.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"alright, on one."

In unison Nick and Judy began their countdown.

" _three... two..._ _ **ONE!**_ "

Nick and Judy started pulling wires and cables off of Nick as quickly as they could, and the machine started beeping very loudly, As they reached the ground they could hear commotion coming from the room above them.

"I think we're good Carrots."

"Car's this way."

"Okay Carrots, so here's what I'm thinking."

"We head down to Big's mansion and say we want out, and if that doesn't work we beg for our lives, and if _that_ doesn't work we improvise, Sound good?"

"That's not going to work, it's not that simple, He'll never forgive us."

"All we did was arrest three goons, that hardly warrants 'never forgive us'"

"Nick look, I-I shot one of them, _murdered_ one of them..."

"You what?!" Said Nick in disbelief.

"I snapped, you were going to die right there in my arms, I told him to run and I shot him..."

"Carrots we'll figure this-"

"Look. Nick, I got us into this, It's my fault we were working with Big in the first place, and it's my fault he probably wants us dead."

"Just get out of the city and wait for things to blow over, I need to go on my own, I can't put you in any more danger, I just _can't_." Judy told Nick tearfully.

"Judy Listen to me."

Judy was surprised to hear her name come out of Nick's mouth, it was a rare event.

"I'd have done the same, If I thought you were dying I'd have done far worse than kill the person who did it, You saved me, I was just a broken conman before I met you, taking me along on that case with you, helping me figure out who I was, being around you makes me want to be more, to make you be proud of me, To 'make the world a better place' and I will never forget that."

"I care about you Judy, if I let you go in there on your own, I couldn't live with myself, I would be broken all over again. I would rather go in there and die with you, the one person I care about more than _ANYTHING_ else in this world, than live the rest of my life thinking _'I should have gone in there with her, Not cowered out here in this damn countryside._ '"

"Carrots like it or not we're in this together, Live or die, I'm with you 'til the end." "Although I'd prefer to avoid the latter."

"Nick I care about you too, and if you really want to do this then I know I can't make you change your mind, And since Neither of us has a plan we're probably better off together anyway."

"Let's call him then, tell him we're on our way and we need to talk, We can try to figure out a plan on our way there for if things don't go our way inside."

"Okay then, Let's get headed out."

It was the dead of night when they arrived at Mr Big's mansion, everything was serene,

The only sounds that could be heard were that of the falling snow and faint music coming from inside.

"You two, follow me" said one of Big's men.

stepping inside sent shivers down Nick and Judy's spines, Walking down hall after hall on the way to Big's office only made them feel worse about what might be to come, As they finally approached the door Judy turned to Nick.

"You're sure you want to go in there?"

"We've come this far, we can't really turn back now..."

The doors swung open revealing Mr. Big waiting for them, On the desk next to him was a picture of a polar bear facing towards Nick and Judy.

"It was 2 years ago that I told you never to show your face here again, and then I accepted you and this rabbit back into my home."

"who would have thought that the godmother to my grand-daughter, Would be the one to send two members of my family away to prison, And end the life of another."

"His name was Angelo Robearto. And you gunned him down in cold blood, like he was some kind of animal."

"Sir for all I knew Nick was dying in my arms, and he was to blame for it, I couldn't control myself."

"Quiet rabbit! After what you've done, There is no forgiveness."

"Look, you're right, you shouldn't forgive us, what happened was wrong, but it was a mistake, we just want out, You'll never see or hear from us again, It'll be like we never existed in the first place."

"Nicky, You know there's only one way out, and you're standing on top of it."

"Well actually, It seems like there _might_ be another option."

"You'd better think twice before you make your next move here." Said Big.

"Oh don't worry, I have." Said Nick.

"See you two in hell."

You too sir."

Nick and Judy Drew their guns, Nick's first shot found it's way to Mr. Big completely obliterating him , Judy had shot the two bear's behind Mr Big's desk, They leaped behind his desk for cover.

"I counted 2 more on the other side of this desk! You?" Said Nick.

"Same here, Looked like a few more coming down the hallway too!"

"Nick I'm gonna try to make a run for the door on our left, when I say 'now' Cover me!"

"Got it!"

It was very hard to hear over all of the gunfire.

"Okay... And... _NOW!"_ shouted Judy.

Nick peeked up over the desk and fired down the hall.

As Judy ran for the doorway she opened fire on the two polar bears still in the room, She managed to take one of them out.

"this way's good! your turn!" Said Judy.

Judy peeked around the corner and shot at the remaining polar bear in the room.

Nick bolted towards Judy, narrowly avoiding several bullets.

"get that door closed on your way in!" Said Judy.

"They're gonna be on us again any second, we've gotta keep moving, How much ammo you got left Carrots?"

"Twelve bullets, You?"

"about Sixteen."

"Okay we've gotta move, They're just gonna box us in here." Whispered Nick

"Alright, see if you can peek through this door, _slowly."_ replied Judy.

Nick opened the door a crack for a split second.

"bad news Carrots, we're cornered."

"Great!"

"there are about ten polar bears out there standing in our way."

"Not great."

"Okay Carrots, here's the plan, I'm gonna peek out over here, While everyone's distracted you peek out of the door we came in and see if you can take out the guys in Big's office."

"alright, On your go."

"okay... Go!"

Nick swung open the door and opened fire down the crowded corridor taking out a few, Judy followed hitting two in the office.

"Room's clear!" shouted Judy.

" Nick! we're gonna have to make a run for it, I'm gonna take out that window behind Big's desk, then we jump."

"and there's no time for sheets?"

"Not this time."

Judy fired at the window, Shattering it.

"Okay now!"

Nick and Judy took off through the doorway, and across the room while firing down the hall, and out the window.

" _ **FUCK!**_ " shouted Judy.

"I think my leg's broken."

"I've gotcha Carrots!"

Nick threw Judy over his shoulder and ran for the car.

"trade guns I've got more ammo, You might have to cover us." said Nick

as Nick and Judy rounded the corner to their vehicle, they could hear shouting by the main entrance.

"Nick, We need to go, This might be our last chance to get out of here alive, If we don't make it, I'm so sorry about all of this, you don't deserve any of it."

"And neither do you, remember that."

Judy exhaled sharply before speaking.

"You ready Nick?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Nick and Judy ran for the car, Guns ablaze in both directions, this was their final stand, live or die, time felt at a standstill as they rushed for the vehicle.

"Just a little bit further!" Said Judy.

The final few shots rang out.

"That's it! They're gone! I can't fucking believe it!" Shouted Nick.

"We've gotta hurry, There are still more inside."

Nick and Judy entered the vehicle and sped off, they had _survived_.

"Carrots, Let's go see that farm of yours you're always talking about."

"You've got it Nick."


	6. Chapter 6

Silent Night

By: vulpinewizard

Steam curled itself around the vulpine's curled fingers, as Nick attempted to cradle the precious cargo he kept in his left paw. Snowflakes continued to fall in lazy little spirals, settling gently on his crimson fur, despite the assurances of the weather mammal on ZNN. While snow wasn't exactly unknown in the city outside of Tundratown, climate control tech being what it was, it had been a long while since the snowfall in city center had reached anywhere close to double digits. As such, Nick's paws remained ensconced in thick thermal gloves, especially patterned to accommodate the claws we worked tirelessly to keep sheathed.

Nick brought his paw to his lips, sending a warm cascade of pleasure through his tired, and chilled body. The coffee warming him from his core and spreading to his stiff limbs. Dodging patches of black ice, he made his way to the cruiser awaiting him. As he opened the passenger side door, he made a mental note to thank the proprietor once again for providing the officers of the ZPD with free coffee. It was a rare thing for the fox to feel appreciated, especially with his partner's stellar record at handing out parking citations. Still, he found himself unwilling to complain. The night could always get worse.

He slid into his seat, extending a paw and its rabbit sized coffee cup, to his partner sitting in the driver's seat. After a pregnant moment, he looked up, still extending his paw, to notice that Judy was ignoring him. Instead of accepting the cup of steaming coffee, she had her muzzle buried in her phone, thumbs a blur as she typed out a lengthy message on some social media site.

"Arms about to fall off," he said dryly. She started, looking up to the fox, her eyes wide, nose twitching. Nick smirked, realizing that she truly hadn't noticed him return to the car, engrossed as she was.

"Oh sorry Nick. Thanks," she said, placing the phone on their cruiser's console, and taking the proffered cup.

"No problem carrots," and in a flash, he reached for her phone.

Judy struggled awkwardly with the coffee Nick had handed her, attempting to both manage her coffee, and to recover her phone.

"Yoink," Nick said, as he retrieved the phone just a hare faster than his counterpart.

"Oi," Judy said, "Phone. Now!" Judy was covered from the tips of her ears, to the bottom of her chin with a set of hand knit ear-warmers she had received from her mother not two weeks before. They were patterned in alternating stripes of pastel colors that were a shocking contrast to the austere navy and black of her uniform. The hues didn't lend themselves to intimidation, not that Nick would have given up on such a juicy target of gossip even if they had. He internally flinched, however, at the spark in the doe's lavender eyes. Holding the phone out of her reach, he quickly scanned over what she a written. Looking down at his partner, he saw a sharp look in her eyes that promised retribution.

"Isn't Julie one of your litter mates?"

"Yes," Judy said with a scowl. She held out a paw expectantly, the other cradling her beverage. Nick placed the device gently in her paw, a thoughtful expression crossing his muzzle.

"Didn't she get engaged or something?"

Judy nodded in assent, "Three times. This makes number four."

Nick's frowned, right ear flicking over his head.

"Four times huh…"

"This year."

Nick whistled, as Judy groaned, reading over the message she had written once again.

"I mean, it's not like she isn't a grown doe."

Nick made a noncommittal noise, indicating he was listening, but refraining from comment.

"And it's not really my place to judge…"

Nick waited, taking the silent moment to take another drink. He sighed in pleasure. _Ambrosia, thy name is caffeine._

"It's just. She shouldn't keep making all this drama. She announces her engagement on Furbook, getting piles of messages congratulating her. Then she breaks it off, only to get more messages giving her sympathy. It's like she isn't happy unless she is the center of attention, you know?"

"Well, I imagine it is hard to stand out with so many siblings."

"Nick, you know that's not..." But then she froze, as she pondered the situation. After all, hadn't SHE been so determined to do what hadn't been done before… to stand out?

"I'm kidding, fluff. I know that's not what made you do what you do. But it's possible your sis feels a bit…overshadowed you know."

"So you are saying this is MY fault," Judy said dryly.

"What?! No…I…"

"Kidding Nick," she said with a smile. "Still, you might have something there. I just wish she would take it seriously. Picking a spouse is a serious commitment. It's dedication, and sometimes results in heartache."

"You charmer," Nick snickered.

Judy rolled her eyes, "I'm serious. People talk about love, and destiny, but marriage is more than that. It's a partnership. It's a dedication to make something with someone that is supposed to last. It's not something that should be cheapened.

A memory flashed unbidden to Nick's mind. He didn't often think of his father, or the business he had failed to open. But one memory stood out above all the others. He had been young, possibly 4 or 5, and he had come down stairs to get a drink of water. He saw his father, his head in his hands, a pile of bills spread before him on the table. His mother stood behind him, brewing a pot of tea on the stove, an herbal blend containing peppermint, and some wild flower he had never learned the name of. She stood with one paw draped lovingly on his shoulder, the other balanced on the counter beside the stove. His father had always been strong. Refusing to bow to the prejudices animals had for his species, he never let their words affect his bearing. He always carried on, despite being turned down for loans, despite never being paid fairly for his tailoring. He always told his son, to never let them get to you. His father had been strong, but that night, his head bowed, he seemed so small. His mother looked from the bills on the table, to her husband and said the words that he would never forget. "We will find a way."

Nick nodded, his attention returning to the present, and said, "Yeah."

The call came in while the pair were looking for something to have for dinner. Night had rolled in, the moon falling on the newly accumulated snow in ghostly incandescence. There had been a report of a domestic dispute at an apartment building about four miles away, and it was up to Judy and Nick to investigate the disturbance. Nick was attempting to settle the grumbling in his stomach with the last remaining dregs of his coffee, while Judy pulled into the apartment complex, lights illuminating the small parking lot behind the apartment complex.

Shady vale apartments was a low income housing complex, sitting in the southern-most quarter of city central. Its tenants weren't known for their hospitality towards the police, and response times generally didn't rise above the thirty minute mark. The Bedouins, a band of toughs and bruisers who operated mostly out of savannah central, had claimed this part of Zootopia as their turf. Their markings, showing a round topped tent, with a long curling banner above it, could be seen embellishing the walls of the apartment building, as well as a fair share of the street signs.

Nick took in the scene, his eyes partially lidded. He stepped with assuredness, his ears slowly swiveling to take in the scene. Judy took the lead, her faster pace making up for the vulpine's longer stride. Nick watched out for signs of trouble, keeping his sharp senses on alert. He noted that there weren't any of the homeless wandering the streets, which was odd, even given the cold. Usually, that meant only one thing. Trouble.

Judy led the way up to the third floor apartment where the disturbance had been reported. The halls were exposed to the elements, and snow had managed to accumulate in the corners of the stairwells, their white hue turned brackish from some unknown grime. Judy made certain to steer well clear of those, and made her way up the creaking stairs, one at a time. The building had been built for medium sized mammals, and while the steps weren't so large as to cause Judy undue difficulty, she still needed to be cautious.

As they approached the door leading into the apartment they were to investigate, they heard another door down the hall close with a snap. Silence weighed heavily on the building, as Judy raised a paw to knock on the door. Nick stood behind her and to the side. His paws crossed in front of his stomach, his service pistol within easy reach. A few moments passed, and Judy knocked again, a little more insistently.

"Officer Hopps, ZPD."

Judy turned to look at Nick, her ears falling behind her head on reflex. Nick shrugged, and was about to respond to her unasked query, when the silence was rent by a loud crack. Trained reflexes snapped as the two cops dove to either side of the door, to take what little protection the door frame could offer. Nick had his pistol out in a flash, and noted that Judy had done the same. Another report sounded from within the apartment and all fell silent once more.

The pair waited, their quickened breaths leaving plumes of vapor in the air as they exhaled. Two minutes, and nothing. Nick noted that the door to the apartment was completely intact, so the shots coming from within the apartment, hadn't come through the door.

Judy reached up to the remote on her shoulder, and called in that shots had been fired. Nick took deep breathes, trying to steady his racing heart. Then, with a look to his partner, he put his paw on the door handle. Judy nodded, taking up her position.

"ZPD, get on the ground with your paws behind your head," Nick barked, as he tested the door. It swung in effortlessly, neither locked nor barred. Pressing it the rest of the way in with his left paw, his right still holding his pistol, Nick prepared to back Judy up as she took point. They were greeted by the coppery smell of fresh blood.

The apartment was a typical two bedroom affair, with the door opening into a modest living room. Carpet, that had once been an off white, was saturated with years of accumulated filth. Though it appeared the current tenants had made an effort to clean regularly, they had been fighting a losing battle. The walls were hung with pictures, depicting a pair of timber wolves, one whose fur was a brilliant white, the other, a mottled black and gray. They stood together, arms entwined. One showed them standing by a tree with an old tire swing, looking at each other in bliss, formal attire glistening in sunlight. Altogether, the decorations gave the apartment a homey feel that was immediately shattered by the presence of a corpse in the living room.

The body was that of the mottled timber wolf, his body splayed out in an ever growing pool of gore. A handgun was by his side, dropped from nerveless fingers. Judy checked over the body, noticing that the eyes had gone a lifeless grey. Just to be certain, she reached down a paw to check for a pulse. She grimaced as her paws touched the lifeless flesh, gone stiff, though still warm. She started when she heard a gasp come from farther down the hall. Nick rushed in beside her, his pistol drawn, as he took cover behind a bookshelf, set beside the hall. He gestured for Judy to cover him, as he moved forward to what Judy came to realize was another body.

The white furred timber wolf lay on the ground, a pool of blood spreading from a wound in her back. Nick forced himself to cough in order to avoid losing himself to the smell, made all the more potent by the enclosed space of the apartment. Despite years of evolution, it seemed that there was something deep within him that hummed with the smell of blood, excited him. He holstered his weapon and pressed down on the wound with his paw, attempting to stem the wound. This elicited a gasp from the timber wolf, as she looked up to him, eyes wide in panic.

"Mam, we're with the ZPD. Just stay calm, we have you."

The timber wolf looked around, and tried to stand up. Nick pressed down harder, and tried somewhat unsuccessfully to keep her down.

"A little help fluff!"

Judy came in, whispering platitudes to the wolf, as she put gentle pressure on her shoulders. With a shudder, the wolf slumped back to her stomach, her breath coming in sharp staccato.

"She's in shock," Nick nearly shouted, and once again, Judy spoke in to her remote, calling for EMS. Nick traded positions with Judy, and rushed back to the couch in order to grab a pillow. In doing so, he nearly knocked over a photograph set on an end table. It showed a group of mammals, all dressed in fatigues. Nick didn't know where they were, but the climate was utterly foreign to him. They all more smiles, arms securing a variety of weapons with ease. Nick grimaced, and returned to the wounded wolf. He placed the pillow under her head, as Judy began applying a small bandage from her utility belt to the wound. The inch wide pad of gauze was laughably ineffective in the face of such a large wound. Nick opened a nearby closet, and finding a clean towel, tossed it to the doe. She placed it on top the mediocre bandage, and resumed pressure on the wound, as well as a series of questions attempting to get the wolf's attention. A door slamming shut sounded from deeper in the apartment, and Nick turned to Judy, his eyes wide. Resigned, Nick redrew his weapon, and gestured for Judy to stay with the wolf.

Nick pushed open the door at the end of the hallway to find it completely dark. Nerves frayed, he cleared his throat past a rising lump.

"ZPD, come on out, with your hands up."

There was no response.

Nick turned on the light, revealing a small, twin sized bed, the sheets a variety of mismatched hues. The walls were decorated sparsely, with a small white clock set above the bed, ticking evenly. Nick jumped as a flash of movement caught his eye, and he raised his pistol on reflex. He saw his own image, reflected back to him in a mirror. Nick saw that his hackles were raised, and he wore a grimace that was surprisingly intimidating. He pressed in to the room, and opened the small closet door cautiously. It opened with a squeal, sliding open with more effort than Nick had anticipated. He kept his pistol trained on the center of the room, then relaxed it. Sitting on the floor, huddled beneath a pile of dirty laundry, was a timber wolf pup. Nick guessed he was no older than four, his fur a solid grey. The pup had his hands over his ears, his eyes wide in terror.

Sighing, Nick forced himself to calm down, and placed his weapon back in its holster.

Judy worked as best she could to keep the wolf stable. Minutes passed, and she called out to Nick. He returned the all clear, but he didn't return. Moments passed, and then thankfully the EMS arrived. Taking over for the weary doe, she stood up, and gathered her wits. She turned, and walked down the hall to find her partner, sitting crossed legged at the foot of a child sized bed. A timber wolf pup sat in his lap, head curled up under his chin, asleep. He was dressed in a pair of thick footed pajamas, a picture of Bolt the Wonder Dog on his chest. Nick sat with his paws draped protectively around the pup, his muzzle an unreadable mask.

Judy sighed, and sat down beside him, her paw seeking his. He clenched it, his grip abnormally strong. Judy winced internally, but said nothing. The vulpine's claws remained sheathed, but their points dug a little despite his precaution. She didn't complain however, maintaining the contact as one does a lifeline to a drowning mammal. They sat that way in silence until back up arrived, and ushered them out of the building, into the cold winter night.

The next day meant a flurry of paperwork. Despite a long, sleepless night, the pair of cops had to write after action reports. They discovered that the white furred timber wolf, Jane Hollier, was in critical condition at Whitefeather Community Hospital. The pup, Samuel Hollier, had been taken to Lylus Rescue Society to await developments.

"It looks like the kit doesn't have any living relatives other than his mom," Judy said without inflection.

Nick grunted, eyes cast down at his computer. He didn't engage her further, their cubicle sounding with the rhythmic clacking of keys.

Judy winced, and found herself feeling hollow. She looked over her own report, checking it over for mistakes. Something ate at her, as she looked it over. Could this have been prevented? She looked up to say something to Nick, but stopped herself. No, there was nothing that could have been done. She was beginning to realize that what Bogo had said to her about the world being broken, was partially true. She couldn't fix everything, only small parts. She had to take comfort in that. After all, the world would move on. Last night had been the worst day in that little pup's life, but to the rest of the world, it was Tuesday.

Judy printed her report, and signed the bottom with her usual flourish. She looked over to Nick, and nudged him with her paw.

"Come on Slick, let's get some breakfast."

He looked to her then, his eyes lacking any of their usual sparkle. And despite it all, despite the pain, and the helplessness, he smiled at her.

"Sure thing carrots."

He printed his own report, and they set off together to drop it in the chief's in box. As they headed out into the winter air, Judy took out her phone, and saw that she had a new notification from Julie. As Nick began to tell her an amusing story Clawhauser had told him, she opened Furbook, and saw that Julie's relationship status had changed. Amidst a plethora of sympathetic messages, Judy saw her mother's response to the two word adjustment. 'It's Complicated'


	7. Chapter 7

div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span style="font-size: large;"strongspan style="text-decoration: underline;"An Honest Fox/span/strong/span/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"emby iamcave76 (reddit) - CDNCrow (AO3) - Canadian Crow ( )/em/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"Tucking her phone away, Judy ruminated on the short – and somewhat one-sided – conversation she'd just had with the chief./spanspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" Moving to stand beside her partner, they both watched as the badly-beaten drug dealer was loaded into the waiting ambulance. "Bogo wants you to report to his office as soon as we get back."/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"The fox nodded silently, slowly flexing his paws and wincing when the action re-opened his recently split knuckles./span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="color: #000000;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"This wasn't a surprise, as much as she wished otherwise. Since his first day in uniform, /spanspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"Nick's crusade against the illegal drug trade in Zootopia had made her own devotion to the law seem like a passing interest. It had stood entirely at odds with his otherwise laid-back nature and he pursued it with a fierceness that had given her pause on more than one occasion. But today.../span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Today, she'd seen her partner – her best friend – beat some low-level punk dealing nip in a schoolyard within an inch of his life. Today, he'd actually emsnapped his teeth/em at her when she tried to pull him away. She'd very nearly had to deploy her taser just to keep her partner from killing someone, and although he'd come to his senses and ended the assault on his own, the fox would be hard-pressed to avoid the undoubtedly severe consequences to come. /span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;" "Nick..." She looked up at him, frowning when the fox tried to avoid eye contact. "What emwas/em that?"/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;""I dunno." He muttered. "One less dealer?"/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;""Don't do that, Nick. Talk to me." She placed a gentle paw on his arm and led him to a nearby bench. He momentarily stiffened at the contact, then seemed to deflate before her eyes./span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;""He was..." Hesitantly, he turned to meet her gaze. "He was a good father. And an honest fox." Her partner let out a shuddering sigh. "He ran a tailor shop over on 43rd Ave - a pretty successful one, too – and every day seemed to live his life in contrast to every negative fox stereotype..."/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"ooooo/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Everyone in our neighborhood knew Dad, and they all respected him. No small achievement, especially for a fox. Mammals from all over Zootopia would come to his shop to have work done./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"I remember when one customer – a moose, I think – said that it was surprising to see a fox using those nimble paws for something better than petty theft. Dad just smiled and reminded him that he hadn't seen the bill yet. The moose laughed, and ended up becoming a regular. Dad was just like that; you couldn't help but like him. But the universe can be cruel, sometimes for no good reason at all./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Rheumatoid arthritis doesn't emsound/em like a life-ending disease, unless your livelihood depends on having steady paws. It was manageable for a time, but eventually his condition started to show in his work. A loose button here, a crooked stitch there. Before long, mammals started to take their business elsewhere. On the street they'd give him pitying smiles and pats on the shoulder, offer their sympathies and best wishes. They'd ask if there was anything they could do and he'd thank them politely, not commenting on their newly tailored clothing./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"As the pain got worse, he needed more and more medication to steady his paws and keep working. We had health insurance, but foxes don't have the best immune systems to begin with and the premiums for our species are pretty steep. It wasn't long before he and Mom just couldn't afford it anymore. To make matters worse, some speciest bastard at Zootopia General Hospital flagged him as a drug-seeker, and after that he couldn't find a doctor willing to write him a prescription. I guess even Dad couldn't outrun the "shifty fox" reputation forever./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"I can't really imagine what kind of headspace he was in - maybe I just don't want to – but I guess when faced with going out of business and failing his family, he took the only path left to him./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"I was just a kit. I didn't understand what was going on. I just know that Mom and Dad were sad, that they argued more and more. I might have asked why Dad stopped going to work in the shop. Then I came home from school one day and found Mom was standing in the kitchen, staring silently out the window. I had to shout to get her attention./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"She wrapped her arms around me and just started to cry. She told me that dad had left us, but he'd given her a message for me, that he said I needed to be brave. She told me that Dad had to go on a trip and she didn't know how long he'd be away./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"I believed that for so much longer than I should have./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"After that, life went on and eventually we learned to smile again. Things were actually pretty good - right up until the Junior Ranger Scouts, at least. I came home in tears that night, and told Mom what had happened. She hugged me and comforted me, said all the right words. But it felt like something inside me had broken./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Over the next few years, I started acting out and getting in trouble. One day I got into a particular nasty scrap with some kits at school. It was stupid kit stuff – teasing and name-calling– but just like that the claws were out. I'd like to say I gave as good as I got, but I honestly don't remember. She came and picked me up, apologizing to the principal for my behavior and nodding quietly at suspension. As we drove she talked about how we had to be brave, not to show the mammals saying cruel things that their words hurt us./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"I was so angry at the world, in that way only a young mammal can be. I felt persecuted and indignant and suddenly I was yelling at her. I called her a coward that never stood up for herself emor/em her species. An Uncle Tod, always smiling at the mammals that spat on us. I told her that Dad must've left because he'd been ashamed of her. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face when I said that./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Mom emnever/em yelled, no matter how much trouble I got into. There were a few stern talking-tos, but she never yelled at me. This one time, I wish she had. I wish she'd smacked me upside the head and told me to smarten up. Instead she pulled the car over and did the most terrible thing she could./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"She finally told me the truth./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Dad hadn't gone on some trip. After the doctors cut him off, Dad decided to get his pain relief from another source. The kind of source you find in an alley in this part of town. At first, the dealer supplied the same kind of pills he'd been prescribed, but you know how expensive pharmacy-grade painkillers are on the street. Eventually he compromised with something a little more affordable. Then something else./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"His behavior started getting erratic. He got short-tempered, his work became shoddy at best. He was losing customers, and started over-charging the ones that stayed to make up the difference. Over time, less and less of that money made it home./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"After a while, the shop had closed; even mammals he'd called his friends didn't go there anymore. He'd stay home all day and vanished off to who knew where at night. Sometimes he'd be gone for days and Mom would tell me he had gone on business trips; I'd always believe her, even when she was crying./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"One day she'd come home to an unusually quiet house and found him on the bathroom floor. She called an ambulance, but it'd been much too late. He'd died like a junkie, in a puddle of vomit with a needle in his arm./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"In an instant, she'd torn away all the lies and it was like I suddenly emremembered/em Dad. All the vague, shiny memories I'd clutched to my heart fell apart and I could see how he'd looked near the end - gaunt face, matted fur, and desperate...emshifty/em...eyes./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"It felt like the world was falling apart. I couldn't handle it, so I just jumped out of the car in a panic. Even though I could hear her calling my name, I never looked back. Maybe she was trying to apologize, but I just didn't look back./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"The next couple of years weren't easy, but I was lucky that I ended up meeting Finnick. The little jerk probably saved my life. I was almost eighteen when I found out that my Mom had died. She got Lyme disease and just couldn't shake it. I didn't go to her funeral – I wasn't the only one – but I try to take a measure of comfort that at least she got one. I've spent years searching the city's cemeteries, but I still don't know where either of my parents are buried./span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"My family was torn apart because my father was desperate to keep us together. In that desperation, he turned to some lying mammal offering the worst possible solution. A mammal who took Dad's money even as he watched an innocent fox destroy himself, and who probably barely noticed the difference when he died. The drugs way have killed my Dad, but they still managed to destroy three lives in the process. /span/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"ooooo/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Several minutes of silence passed after Nick finished his story. Judy desperately wanted to offer some kind of comfort to her closest friend, but had no idea what to say./span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;""There are predators, and then there are empredators/em." Nick suddenly added, angrily clenching his injured paw. "Lions and tigers, wolves and foxes – we're called predators because thousands of years ago we killed to survive. Dealers prey on the weak and desperate - not because they emneed /emto, but because they emcan/em."/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"Nick stood and began to make his way back to their parked cruiser. Judy fell into step beside him as they made their way back to their cruiser. "I'm so sorry, Nick. I don't... I mean..."/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;""It's okay, Carrots. I know what you mean." He sighed. "I think that, misguided or not, he went down that road out of love. That he was trying to be the mammal that his family needed and walked into a world he didn't understand until it was too late to get out. Maybe that's naïve, but it's what I choose to believe. And it's how I choose to remember Dad."/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 12pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000;"He gave her a faint, sad smile. "As a good father. And an honest fox."/span/span/p  
/div 


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